For Travelers
Who Want More Than
the Official Line!
Unofficial
GuidCo Washington,
Save Time 8c Money Best Hotel Values Joe Surkiewicz with Eve Zibart Plan Your Trip Online at
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Unofficial
Guide
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to
Washington, D.C. 8th Edition
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Eve Zibart
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To D.
—
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Please note that prices fluctuate in the course of time,
under the impact of many factors that influence the that
you write or
has been
made
and
travel
travel industry.
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—
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therefore suggest
travel plans.
throughout
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may
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are invited to write the publisher
experience,
an element of subjective
own
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with ideas, comments, and
suggestions for future editions.
Published by:
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© 2005 by Robert W. Sehlinger and Joe Surkiewicz. All rights reserved. No part of
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in the 1
in a variety
of electronic formats.
not be available in electronic formats.
United States of America
Some
Contents
of Maps
List
x
About the Authors and Contributor
Introduction
I
Washington without the Hassle
About This Guide
How Come
2
"Unofficial"^.
Creating a Guidebook
How
1
2
3
Unofficial Guides Art Different
Special Features
How This Letters,
3
4
Guide Was Researched and Written
Comments, and Questions from Readers
How Information
Is
6
One Planning Your Visit to Washington
When
to
Go 29 When the Weather
Going
Avoiding Crowds
Is
Good
29
30
Trying to Reason with the Tourist Season Getting to Washington
Driving
Flying
33
34
Taking the Train
5
Organized:
By Subject and by Geographic Zones
Part
5
37
38
A Calendar of Festivals and Events
32-37
30
29
1
vi
11
Contents
Accommodations
PartTwo
Deciding Where to Stay
Some
Considerations
Getting a
Good Deal on
Where
4
41 41 a
Room
42 43
the Hotel Discounts Are
Helping Your Travel Agent Help You
Make Your
If You
How to
Own
48
Evaluate a Travel Package
49
Tips for Business Travelers
Lodging Convenient
Convention Rates:
46 47
Reservation
Washington Convention Center
to
How They Work and How to Do
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked What's in a Room?
5
Compare
Deals and Bad Deals
Not
All Visitors
A Convention
56
66
68-81
Accommodations Information Chart
PartThree Visiting
52
55
Ratings
How the Accommodations Good
49
5
Hotel and Motel Toll-free Numbers
Room
49
Better
Washington on Business Are Headed
for the
Mall
83
83
88-89
Center Calendar
The Washington Convention Center
90
Lodging within Walking Distance of the Convention Center
90
Parking at the Convention Center 9
Cabs and Shuttles
Lunch
Part Four
to the the
Alternatives for
Convention Center 91
Convention and Trade Show Attendees 91
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Coming
into the City
By Car
93
93
By Plane
94
By Train
99
A Geographic Overview of Washington City and
Two
States
D.C.'s Street Plan
Finding Your
Way
1
100 101
Things the Natives Already
The Metro: An Taxis Traffic
00
Know
Introduction
103 103
The Neighborhoods
104
1
02
102
100
93
Contents Customs and Protocol
1
The
108
Local Press
Telephones
109
Rooms
Rest
109
How to Avoid Crime and Crime
in
Having
a Plan
114
Self-defense
114
Carjackings
1 1
More Things
to
May Be
Safe in Public Places
1 1
1 1
Ripoffs and Scams
1 1
Avoid
Closer
The Homeless
Part Five
Keep
Washington
Personal Attitude
Help
06
108
Tips for the Disabled
115
Than You Think
1 1
116
Getting around Washington
Driving Your Car: Traffic
Hot
Parking
A Really Bad Idea
Spots
I
1
1 1
119
121
A Really Good Idea 121 A Clean, Safe Alternative 2 How to Ride the Metro 22 Metro Foibles and How to Cope 129
Riding the Metro:
1
1
Discounts and Special Deals
A Note about Metrobus Taxis
132
People with Special Needs
Part Six
131
132
133
Sight-seeing Tips and Tours
Plan before You Leave
Thinking
Home
137 138
in Categories
Putting Your Congressperson to
Operating Hours
Work
42
1
143
Rhythms of the City If You Visit
137
144
During Peak Tourist Season
Intragroup Touring Incompatibility:
What
It Is
and
How to Avoid It
Washington with Children
146
Washington's Top 20 Tours
1
Taking an Orientation Tour
52 155
Other Commercial Guided Tours
1
58
145
145
110
vii
1
viii
Contents
Part Six
Sight-seeingTips and Tours
Optimum Adult Touring The Red Line Tour
1
59
163
Touring Strategies Attractions
Plan
(continued)
63
1
Grouped by Metro
163
Station
Seeing Washington on a Tight Schedule
One-Day Touring 170
Helpflil Hints
A Worst-case Touring Scenario
1
70
171
Travel Tips for Tourists
Washington's Attractions
Where
to
Go
The National Mall
86
1
Zone
2:
Capitol Hill
Zone
3:
Downtow^n
Zone
4:
Foggy Bottom
Zone
5:
Georgetown
Zone
6:
Dupont Circle/Adams-Morgan
Zone
7:
Upper Northwest
Zone
8:
Northeast
241
Zone
9:
Southeast
244
Zone
10:
Zone
11: Virginia
1
214 222 227 229
247
Maryland Suburbs Suburbs
230
237
250
253
Dining and Restaurants
Experiencing Washington Cuisine
The New Washington Cookery
253 253
258
Places to See Faces
The New Downtown Dining
260
The Restaurants 26 Our Favorite Washington Restaurants More Recommendations 269
Shopp in g
Mall Shopping
in
Flea Markets
Washington
335
335
Suburban Malls Malls in D.C.
261
274-334
Restaurant Profiles
Part Nine
79
179
Time-saving Charts
Part Eight
1
179
Zone
:
66
168
Excursions beyond the Beltway
Part Seven
1
166
335
337 337
Great Neighborhoods for Window-shopping
338
Contents Georgetown
338
Adams-Morgan and
U Street
339
Dupont Circle 341 Chevy Chase 342 342
Bethesda
343
Capitol Hill
Old Town Alexandria
343
343
Specialty Shops
PanTen Entertainment and Nightlife Washington
Nightlife:
More Than
Washington
in
Swing Your Partner
Espresso and Eight-ball
Part Eleven
367
367
The Sex Thing Profiles
36
365
367
Ashes to Ashes
More on
368
the Safety Thing
370
of Clubs and Nightspots
372-387
Exercise and Recreation
Working Out
389
389
Walking
389
Running
390
Swimming
393
Free Weights and Elliptical Trainers
and Aerobics
Fitness Centers
393
393
394
Tennis
Recreational Sports: Biking, Hiking, Kayaking, and So
394
Bicycling
Hiking
399
Boat Rides Skiing
400
400
Horseback Riding
Golf
401
401 401
Spectator Sports
A ppendixes
353
360
Live Pop, Rock, and Jazz
True Brews
353
Monuments
355
Legitimate Theater
Comedy
Lit-up
405
Accommodations Index Restaurant Index Subject Index
Reader Survey
408
411
419-420
405
On
394
ix
1
of Maps
List
Metro
Inside cover
8-9
Washington, D.C., Touring Zones
The National Mall
10-11
Zone
1
Zone
2:
Capitol Hill
Zone
3:
Downtown
Zone
4:
Foggy Bottom
Zone
5:
Georgetown
Zone
6:
Dupont Circle/Adams-Morgan
Zone
7:
Upper Northwest
Zone
8:
Northeast
22
Zone
9:
Southeast
23
Zone
10:
Maryland Suburbs
Zone
1 1
Virginia Suburbs
:
:
12-13 14-15 16
17
18-19
20-21
24-25
26-27
Washington Convention Center
84-87
Washington, D.C., and Vicinity
95
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Washington-Dulles International Airport
Baltimore-Washington International Airport
Washington Old Town Trolley Capitol Hill
1
96
97 98
56
215
C&O Canal Towpath Trail Mount Vernon Trail
39
392
Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour
397
Sugar Loaf Mountain Bicycle Tour
398
395
About the Authors and Contributor
Joe Surkiewicz has co-authored five titles in the Unofficial Guides series and written two guides to the best places to ride a mountain bike in the Mid-Atlantic
states.
Bureau of Maryland. selor,
is
up on the
Molly and
Kay
in Baltimore
Norma
Shearer,
The Unofficial Guide
"Weekend"
and Miriam Hopkins.
to
77?^ Unofficial
is
a feature writer
and restaurant
section of the Washington Post; she
also
when
Guide
to
New
Walt Disney Worldfor Grown-ups, and The critic for
drew on her intimate
knowledge of D.C.'s diverse after-hours scene and the dining spots
companions,
watch black-and-white movies starring 1930s fdm
Ethnic Food Lover's Companion, the
Aid
not traveling or bicycling, they enjoy evenings
Eve Zibart, author of several books including Orleans,
at the Legal
with his best friend and coun-
sofa with their black-and-white feline
Trixie, to
Francis,
communications director
He lives
Ann Lembo. When
curled
divas
Joe
area's vast
array of
writing our entertainment and restaurant sections. Eve
scoped out where to find the best deals for our chapter on shopping.
A native of the Baltimore suburbs, Alisa Bralove
is
a legal affairs writer for
Maryland's business and legal daily newspaper. The Daily Record. She and her husband. Rich Scherr, ally inspected
live in
more than 140
Owings
hotels
Mills,
and inns
Maryland. Alisa person-
for
our accommodations
chapter.
XI
Introduction
Washington without the Hassle Before
we begin rhapsodizing about
the joys of visiting Washington,
D.C., we have a small confession to make: Sometimes itors in It's
we
hate being vis-
D.C.
not that
we
are
immune
to the spell of this beautiful city
on the
Potomac. We've done our share of gaping in patriotic awe from the top of the Washington
Monument and
histrionics of long-winded
have witnessed in utter fascination the
United States senators ramrodding a pork bar-
project through Congress. For us, as for others, the locus of govern-
rel
ment
is
intoxicating.
We
thrive
polarity of powerful people
one of the most exciting
Where
else
on the constant tension
and
cities
on
ideas.
arising
from the
Washington, unquestionably,
is
the planet.
but in Washington can you watch fire-and-brimstone
politicians debate the rights of
men and women on
the floor of the U.S.
Senate or marvel at the eloquence of barristers arguing a case before the
Supreme Court
—
or discover, perhaps,
how
eavesdropping on a couple of veteran lobbyists
politics
really
works by
they plot strategy over
as
dry martinis in a hip Georgetown pub?
Then, of course, there the
city.
is
the beauty, the magnificence, the majesty of
America's capital city boasts
ments ever
some of the most stunning monumuseums and lush, verdant
created, as well as world-class
parks. Broad, shaded boulevards, meticulously laid out
L'Enfant, radiate like spokes from the heart of the stately plazas, ornate bridges,
Our problem with D.C. Washingtonian
and breathtaking very simple:
—
the sweltering
street plan, the
punctuated by
sculpture.
We cannot stand the peculiarly
hassles that routinely get in the
extraordinary city
Goldberg
is
by Pierre-Charles
city,
summer
way of enjoying this Rube
heat and humidity, the
agonizing lack of legal parking, the elbow-to-
elbow crowds that can wipe out your high
spirits
before lunch.
Introduction
2
In response, we've
become absolute
fanatics
when
it
comes
to
warning
away from Washington's worst torments. Here's the short Hst: long lines that never seem to move, lousy food (when D.C. boasts some of the finest restaurants on earth!), industrial-strength traffic
Washington
visitors
jams, outrageous prices for mediocre hotel rooms, bored tour guides that
herd tourists
sheep
like
.
.
.
We do get quite grumpy when It
doesn't have to be
This book
is
way
this
things go amiss
on
a
Washington
visit.
for you.
the reason why.
Its
primary purpose can be expressed
in exactly ten words: We're going to take the misery out of touring
Washington!
While we
when
guarantee great weather and small crowds, we'll
can't
tell
you
you've got the best chances of encountering both, and we'll give
you tons of information
that will save your feet
and your
wallet,
not to
mention your temper. do and see off the beaten track on the Mall invites heat stroke the best-known attractions. At the same time,
You'll also find suggestions for things to
on hot August afternoons when and when crowds flock
to
we'll introduce the best close, places
go
of what D.C. has to offer
where the people who
after hours:
We'll also
a stroll
tell
live
and work
in
afi:er
best places
around
museums like to
and nightspots.
the great ethnic restaurants, theaters,
you about the
the
Washington
to shop, walk, take a hike,
get a workout, or ride a bike.
This guide
is
ington to see places, city's
designed both for folks planning a family its
famous monuments,
and museums, and
worst
hassles.
The
side of Washington that
trip to
Wash-
of government, historic
halls
who want to avoid the how you can see a re-creation of a Roman cat-
for business travelers
Unofficial
most
Guide
also
visitors miss: a
acomb, $90 million worth of antiques gardens of a fabulously rich heiress,
in
one
among
shows
place,
and the mansion and
other things.
The bottom line: We'll help you see Washington like a native. Of we can't promise that your D.C. visit will be perfect. But this
course,
guidebook can help you eliminate most of the needless
irritations that so
frequently spoil the fun for Washington tourists.
And who knows? Maybe you'll discover, book, that
there's
nothing
left to
as
we
did while researching this
"hate" about being a
Washington
visitor!
About This Guide
How Come **Unofficiari Most "official" guides to Washington, D.C, tout the well-known sights, promote the local restaurants and accommodations indiscriminately, and leave out a lot of good stuff This one is different.
About This Guide Instead of pandering to the tourist industry, we'll
bad
at a
well-known restaurant,
and
rious high prices, a break
now and
we'll
is
the food
is
guide you away from the crowds and lines for
requires wily strategies not unlike those used in
performed
ate in the city's best restaurants,
and
if
We sent in a team of evaluators who toured each site,
the sacking of Troy.
hotels,
you
tell
complain loudly about D.C.'s noto-
then.
Washington
Visiting
we'll
3
evaluations of
critical
Washington's wide variety of nightclubs. If a
visited
its
museum
boring, or standing in line for two hours to view a famous attraction
we
a waste of time,
more
say so
fun, efficient,
—
and, in the process, hopefully
is
make your visit
and economical.
Creating a Guidebook
We way
got into the guidebook business because travel guides force the reader to
Wouldn't
it
we
be nice,
thought,
if
work
we were unhappy with
to get
we were
make
to
the
any usable information. guides that are easy
to use?
Most guidebooks
are compilations of
whether the information
is
presented in
through pages of prose. There
is
lists.
list
This
is
form or
true regardless of
artfully distributed
insufficient detail in a
list,
and prose can
present tedious helpings of nonessential or marginally useful information.
Not enough wheat,
much
so to speak, for nourishment in
one instance, and too
chaff in the other. Either way, these types of guides provide
little
more than departure points from which readers initiate their own quests. Many guides are readable and well researched, but they tend to be difficult to use. To select a hotel, for example, a reader must study several pages of descriptions with only the boldface hotel names breaking up large blocks
same
of
variables,
lar hotel.
Because each description essentially deals with the
text. it is
difficult to recall
what was
said concerning a particu-
Readers generally must work through
beginning to narrow their choices. nightclubs,
and
attractions
usually required.
To
is
The
from
the write-ups before
similar except that even
use such a guide
is
scratch.
more reading
to undertake
research process that requires examining nearly as sibilities as starting
all
presentation of restaurants,
many options and
Recommendations,
if
is
an exhaustive pos-
any, lack depth
and conviction. These guides compound rather than solve problems by failing to
narrow
well-distilled,
How
travelers' choices
and manageable
down
to a thoughtfully considered,
few.
Unofficial Guides Are Different
Readers care about the authors' opinions.
posed to
know what
The
authors, after
all,
are sup-
they are talking about. This, coupled with the fact
that the traveler wants quick answers (as
opposed
to endless alternatives).
Introduction
4
dictates that authors
The
should be expHcit, prescriptive, and above
authors of the Unofficial Guide try to do just that.
alternatives
and recommend
of action.
specific courses
all,
complicated destinations and attractions and allow the traveler to control in the most unfamiliar environments. ficial
Guide Siuthors
is
Unofficial
Guide
all
of the infor-
accessible, useful information.
a critical reference work;
is
feel in
objective of the Unof-
not to give the most information or
mation, but to offer the most
An
The
direct.
They spell out They simplify
it
on
focuses
destination that appears to be especially complex.
Our
a travel
experienced
authors and research team are completely independent from the attractions, restaurants,
ington, D.C.,
of it,
is
and
we
hotels
as well as for business travelers
visiting
D.C.
The Unofficial Guide
describe.
to
Wash-
designed for individuals and families traveling for the fun
for the first time.
consumer-oriented adults
who
and conventioneers,
The guide
is
especially those
directed at value-conscious,
seek a cost-effective, though not spartan,
travel style.
Special Features
The
Unofficial
Guide offers the following
Friendly introductions to Washington's
"Best of"
listings, giving
our
1
on
things ranging
from bagels
2-story views.
keyed to your interests, so you can pick and choose.
Advice to sight-seers on travelers
fascinating neighborhoods.
well-qualified opinions
to baguettes, 4-star hotels to Listings that are
most
special features:
how
on how to avoid
Recommendations
to avoid the worst of the crowds; advice to business
traffic
and excessive costs.
for lesser-known sights that are
away from the huge monuments
of the Mall but are no less spectacular.
A zone
system and maps to make
it
easy to find places you want to go to and
avoid places you don't.
Expert advice on avoiding Washington's notorious street crime.
A
Hotel Information Chart that helps you narrow
ing to
down your
choices
fast,
accord-
your needs.
Shorter
listings
that include only those restaurants, clubs, and hotels
we
think are
worth considering.
A
detailed index to help
Insider advice
you
on crowds,
find things fast.
lines,
best times of day (or night) to go places, and, our
secret weapon, Washington's stellar subway system.
What you
wontgtv.
Long, useless
lists
where everything looks the same.
Information that gets you
somewhere you want
Information without advice on
how
to use
it.
to go at the worst possible time.
About This Guide
How This Guide Was While
a lot
Researched and Written
of guidebooks have been written about Washington, D.C.,
very few have been evaluative.
and
the hotels'
5
tourist offices'
Some guides come close to own promotional material.
regurgitating
In preparing
work, nothing was taken for granted. Each museum, monument,
this
federal building, hotel, restaurant, shop,
and
was
attraction
by a
visited
team of trained observers who conducted detailed evaluations and rated each according to formal
with tourists of
criteria.
Team members conducted
ages to determine
all
during their Washington
While our observers
interviews
what they enjoyed most and
least
visit.
independent and impartial, they did not claim
are
to have special expertise. Like you, they visited
Washington
as tourists or
business travelers, noting their satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
The primary evaluator vation.
The
skills in
trained evaluator
is
organization, preparation,
responsible for
much more
observing and cataloging. While the average tourist stacks of
$20
bills at
the professional
how
and the trained
difference between the average tourist
the evaluator's
is
is
the Bureau of Engraving
and
is
gazing in awe at
Printing, for instance,
rating the tour in terms of the information provided,
quickly the line moves, the location of rest rooms, and
He
children can see the exhibits.
how
well
or she also checks out things like other
attractions close by, alternate places to go if the line at a is
and obser-
than simply
main
attraction
too long, and the best local lunch options. Observer teams use detailed
checklists to analyze hotel rooms, restaurants, nightclubs, tions.
Finally,
tourist reactions profile
and the opinions of patrons
for a
museum
we
recognize that a tourist's age, background,
and
over another.
Our
sole objective
is
to provide the reader with
and pertinent data
knowledgeable decisions according to individual
Letters,
Washington's wide
account for a preference for one sight or
will
sufficient description, critical evaluation,
to
make
tastes.
Comments, and Questions from Readers
expect to learn from our mistakes, as well as from the input of our
readers,
who
and
to
improve with each new book and edition.
Many of those
use the Unofficial Guides write to us asking questions,
ments, or sharing their ton.
comprehensive quality
interests will strongly influence his or her taste in
array of attractions
We
attrac-
of each feature and service.
In compiling this guide,
and
and
evaluator ratings and observations are integrated with
We
appreciate
own
all
discoveries
and
making com-
lessons learned in
such input, both positive and
Washing-
critical,
and
encourage our readers to continue writing. Readers' comments and observations will frequently be incorporated into revised editions of the Unofficial Guide,
and
will contribute
immeasurably
to
its
improvement.
— 6
Introduction
How to Write
the Authors:
Eve
Joe,
The Unofficial Guide
Washington, D. C.
to
Box 43673
P.O.
Birmingham,
AL 35243
[email protected] When
you write by mail, be sure to put your return address on your leton the envelope sometimes envelopes and letters get sepa-
—
ter as well as
rated.
And remember,
of time, so forgive us
our work takes us out of the if
our response
is
long periods
office for
delayed.
Reader Survey At the back of the guide you
will find a short questionnaire that
use to express opinions about your Washington naire out along the dotted line
How
Information
Is
and mail
it
visit.
to the
you can
Clip the question-
above address.
Organized:
By Subject and by Geographic Zones you
In order to give
fast access to
information about the
^f-j^
of Washing-
ton, we've organized material in several formats.
Since most people visiting Washington stay in one
Accommodations
hotel for the duration of their trip, hotels in charts, maps,
we have summarized our
coverage of
and rankings that allow you
ratings,
focus your decision-making process.
We
do not go on, page
to quickly after page,
describing lobbies and rooms which, in the final analysis, sound the same. Instead, tiate
one hotel from another: location,
amenities, and
concise table tions
we
is
cost.
much
concentrate on the specific variables that differen-
The accommodations
(page 57) and
all
room
size,
are
quality,
services,
compared by rankings
the vital information for
all
in a
accommoda-
provided in an extensive chart (pages 68-82).
Attractions
draw visitors
Attractions to
in a single trip.
—
historic buildings,
Washington, but
We
list
it's
them by type
mine what
to see
Restaurants
are the heart
art galleries
as well as location (see
and then evaluate each one, including These descriptions
museums,
practically impossible to see
its
them
all
page 180)
appeal to various age groups.
of this guidebook and help you to deter-
and when.
We
provide a lot of detail
when
it
comes
to restaurants.
more restaurant meals during your stay, and since not even you can predict what you might be in the mood for on Saturday night, we provide detailed profiles of the best restaurants in and around Washington. They are also listed by cuisine and location Since you will probably eat a dozen or
(profiles,
pages 274-334).
About This Guide Entertainment and Nightlife
Visitors frequently try several different
clubs or nightspots during their stay. Since clubs
and nightspots,
restaurants, are usually selected spontaneously after arriving in
ington, spots
we
believe detailed descriptions are warranted.
and lounges
in
Washington
Once
Geographic Zones there
becomes the
issue.
into geographic zones
Zone
1
7
The
like
Wash-
best night-
are profded as well (see page 372).
you've decided where you're going, getting
To help you do
that,
we have
and the suburbs into sub-zones:
divided the city
Zone I: The National Mall
ATTRACTIONS Arlington National Cemetery Arts and Industries Building (closed for renovations)
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Corcoran Gallery of Art
DAR Museum Decatur House
Q Q jQ Q Q Q Q Q
Freer Gallery of Art
Hirshhorn Jefferson
10
Museum
Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
National Air and Space
Museum
National Aquarium National Gallery of Art-East National Gallery of Art-West
National National
Museum Museum
of African Art of
American History National
Museum
of the
American Indian
IQ
National Museum of Natural History
iN^ cpqRpr
National
World War
II
Memorial
Voice of America
The Octagon House Old Post
Office
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Washington Monument
Tower
Renwick Gallery Roosevelt Memorial Sackler Gallery
Smithsonian Building (The Castle) U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum U.S. Department of the Treasury
ACCOMMODATIONS Channel Inn Hotel Loe\vs L'Enfant Plaza
Mandarin Oriental
NIGHTCLUBS Hard Rock Cafe Zanzibar
I
12
/n
II
0.125
0.25
Zone
MILES 0.25
2:
Capitol Hill 0.5
N
A
KILOMETERS
M ATTRACTIONS Folger Shakespeare
Library Library of Congress
National Postal
Museum
U.S. Botanic Garden
U.S. Capitol U.S. Supreme
Union
Coun
Station
ACCOMMODATIONS
O o
Holiday Inn Capitol Phoenix Park Hotel
RESTAURANTS La CoUine
Montmartre
BHdBSS ^rnn r^rnr
NIGHTCLUBS Dubliner
11
13
ATTRACTIONS FBI Ford's Theatre/Petersen
House
Museum Koshland Science Museum National Building Museum International
Spy
National Geographic Society
National
Museum
Women
of
in the Arts
ACCOMMODATIONS
o o
Best Western Capitol Hill
Capitol Hilton
Comfort Inn Downtown Four Points Sheraton Downtown
Grand Hyatt Washington Hamilton Crowne Plaza
(D Hay-Adams
14
Hotel
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ @ ^ @
Hilton Garden Inn
HoUday Inn Downtown Holiday Inn on the Hill Hotel George
Hotel
Monaco
Hotel Washington
Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill
J.W. Marriott Hotel Jefferson Hotel
Lincoln Suites
Madison Hotel Marriott Metro Center
Red Roof Inn Downtown Renaissance Mayflower Hotel
Residence Inn Vermont Avenue Sofitel Lafayette St.
Regis
Washington Court Hotel
t:^ NSt.
MSt.
KSt.
gfmc
Washington Plaza Hotel
Jaleo
Washington Renaissance
Le Paradou
Hotel
Ocean aire
Wiilard Intercontinental
Old
The Wyndham
Ortanique
Washington
Ebbitt Grill
Red Sage Taberna
del Alabardero
RESTAURANTS
Teatro Goldoni
Andale.
TenPenh
Austin Grill
Tosca
Bistro Bis
Zaytinya
Burma
Zola
Cafe Adantico/Minibar
^^
Courduroy
NIGHTCLUBS
D.C. Coast
The Improv
Equinox
Ozio
Georgia Brown's
Platinum
Gerard's Place
15
Zone
0.125
4:
0.25
Foggy
Bottom
ATTRACTIONS JPK Center
for
Performing Arts
U.S. Dept. of Interior
U.S. State Dept. Diplomatic
Reception
Rooms
o o o
River Inn State Plaza Hotel
Watergate Hotel
RESTAURANTS
ACCOMMODATIONS
o o V
16
',:i/„.
.,;.i^j^^
^
Hotel Lombardy
One Washington Hotel
Kaz Sushi
Circle
Kinkead's
Bistro
Zone 5: Georgetown
an ATTRACTION Dumbarton Oaks and Gardens
O ®
Washington
Suites
Georgetown
The Westin Grand
Pizzeria Paradiso
Rocklands Saveur
ACCOMMODATIONS Four Seasons Hotel
o o o o o o
Georgetown Inn
RESTAURANTS ^J^
«
Sea Catch
Austin Grill
1789
Bistro Fran^ais
Sushi-Ko Zed's
Hotel Monticello
Cafe Divan
The Latham Hotel
Cafe Milano
The Melrose Hotel
Citronelle
NIGHTCLUBS
La Chaumiere
Blue Gin
Melrose
Blues Alley
Park
Hyan
Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
17
Zone
6:
Dupont
Circle/
Ad am s-M o rgan
MILES 0.125
0.25
KILOMETERS
18
Zone 7: Upper Northwest
IM
V'-^^^^^jwrnmom^mM, 20
Zone
8:
Northeast N
A
ATTRACTIONS Basilica
of the National Shrine
of the Immaculate Conception Franciscan Monastery
U.S. National Arboretum
0.25 0.5
Benning Rd Station
Fort
Dupont Park
22
ATTRACTIONS Anacostia
Museum
Frederick Douglass
Zone
9:
Southeast
0.25
0.5
23
ATTRACTIONS NASA/Godard Space
Flight Center
National Cryptologic
Museum
National Wildlife Visitor Center
ACCOMMODATIONS American Inn of Bethesda
Q ^ ^ ^ ® ^ ®
Holiday Inn Select Bethesda Holiday Inn Chevy Chase
Hohday Inn
Silver Spring
Hyatt Regency Bethesda Marriott Hotel Bethesda
Quality Inn College Park
Residence Inn Bethesda
Bethesda Court Hotel
o o o
24
Courtyard
New Carrollton
RESTAURANTS
Four Points Sheraton Bethesda
Addie's
Hilton of Silver Spring
Athenian Plaka
Austin Grill
Persimmon
Bangkok Garden
Tako
Benjarong
Tara Thai (two locations)
Black's Bar
Bombay
& Kitchen
Bistro
Good Fortune
Grill
Taste of Saigon Tavira
Thai Farm
Grapeseed
Green Papaya Jaleo
NIGHTCLUBS Dave & Buster's
Jean-Michel
Half Moon Bar-B-Que
Le Mannequin Pis
Yacht Club of Bethesda
Old
Angler's Inn
25
:
Zone
I
I
Virginia
Suburbs
26
Part One
Planning Your Visit
Washington
to
When to Go Going When the Weather The
best times to visit
weather
is
Washington
Good
bloom
in late
March
a show.
fall,
The
when
city's
or early April, while
fall
the
fabled
brings
weather and, by mid-October, a spectacular display of gold,
orange, and red leaves.
The summers and humid. they sprint
and
are in the spring
most pleasant and nature puts on
cherry blossoms crisp, cool
Is
— mid-June
through September
—
can be brutally hot
and August not only contend with the heat as from building to building, but also must endure the city's
Visitors in July
heavy reliance on August, with
air
conditioning that often reaches meat-locker
predictably oppressive heat,
its
is
the
chill.
month when Wash-
ingtonians leave town in droves.
Washington's winter weather, on the other hand,
mid-60s days are possible through December. While
it
is
erratic.
teens in January
and February, midday temperatures can climb
and
the season to beat the crowds.
50s.
This
March
is
into the 40s
While warm daytime temperatures are frequent, somemoist air mass moving north from the Gulf of Mexico will
tricky.
times a large, collide
is
Balmy,
often gets into the
with a blast of
frigid air
from Canada. The
snowfall that paralyzes the city for days. ness, that the prediction
(It
result
is
a big,
should be noted, in
wet
all fair-
of snow can paralyze D.C.)
Washington weather can run the gamut from subzero (rarely), to mild (most of the winter, some of the summer, and most of the spring and fall), to scorchingly hot and unbearably humid (most of July and August). See the boxed table,
on page 31, of the
city's
average monthly temperatures,
in degrees Fahrenheit.
29
.
30
Part
Planning Your Visit to Washington
One
Avoiding Crowds on weekends than weekdays,
In general, popular tourist sites are busier
summer
Saturdays are busier than Sundays, and
The
attractions are
the
is
busier than winter.
best days for avoiding big crowds at Washington's
week
Monday through Wednesday. Crowds
progresses, with the
During the
volume of
busiest tourist seasons, spring
most popular
begin to increase as
peaking on Saturday.
visitors
and summer, major Washing-
ton tourist attractions are always crowded between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
For people in town on business,
means heavier
this tourist influx
congested airports, a packed Metro
.
.
.
and
traffic,
tough time finding a con-
a
venient hotel room.
Driving in weekday rush hours, featuring at
short-tempered bureaucrats clawing their be avoided
at all costs.
their families
the
become
On weekends,
way
least
100,000
to office or
frantic,
home, should
the same government workers and
tourists, often creating
midday
during
traffic snarls
warmer months.
If you're driving to
Washington, try to time your
or during a non-rush hour time
row window
—
around 9:30 a.m. and
that opens
around 3 p.m. Afternoon
arrival
on
a
weekend
before 7 a.m. or during a rather nar-
traffic doesn't
starts to close
quickly
begin to clear up until at least
6:30 p.m. Friday afternoon rush hours are the worst: Don't even think of driving near
D.C.
until after 8 p.m.
TO BEAT THE CROWDS
. .
Avoid the worst tourist seasons: the Cherry Blossom
Festival (early spring)
and mid-summer. Hit major Mall attractions on v/eekdays or Sunday.
Avoid driving 7
in
rush hour (which
in
D.C. means 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to
p.m.).
Get
off the Mall
and
visit
Georgetown, Dupont
Circle,
or downtown attractions.
Trying to Reason with the Tourist Season Whether
you're in
town on business or
pleasure,
aware of when the big crowds of tourists are
it's
likely to
a
good
idea to be
be jamming up the
Metro, the sidewalk, or the place you've picked for lunch.
The cially,
best time to avoid crowds entirely
the Mall
is
nearly deserted and
is
in winter.
On weekdays espe-
museums, monuments, and nor-
mally crowd-intensive hot spots like the Capitol are nearly empty
—except scarcity
for the people
who work
there.
Furthermore, the
relative
of tourists in the off-season eliminates the worst of D.C. 's
gridlock, except during peak rush hours.
traffic
When
to
Go
WASHINGTON'S AVERAGE MONTHLYTEMPERATURES
31
32
Part
Planning Your Visit to Washington
One
A CALENDAR OF FESTIVALS AND EVENTS Washington hosts
throughout the year:
a variety of special events
celebrations, parades, shows, festivals, tours, film
What
ceremonies.
follows
is
and
a listing of some of D.C.'s
well-known annual events. For exact
and most popular and
dates, times, locations,
phone numbers provided before your
sion fees, call the tional information
on
special events, log
on
to
fairs,
jazz festivals,
and admis-
visit.
For addi-
www.washingtonpost.com
or www.washington.org before you hit town.
January Robert
E. Lee's
War Colonel
The
Birthday Celebration
birthdays of Revolutionary
Light Horse Harry Lee and his son, Robert E. Lee, are
celebrated at the Lee-Fendall
Home
House and The Boyhood
E. Lee in Alexandria, Virginia. Refreshments, period music,
Admission
fee.
of Robert
house tours.
(703) 548-8454.
February
The nations largest parade celOld Town Alexandria. Free.
George Washington's Birthday Parade ebrating our
first
president takes place in
(703) 991-4474.
March More than 6,000
National Cherry Blossom Festival trees
to
bloom from
late
March
Washington. The Cherry Blossom
floats,
Japanese cherry
to early April, bringing springtime splendor
and VIPs. Other events include
Festival Parade features princesses, free concerts, the
Japanese Lantern
Lighting Ceremony, the Cherry Blossom Ball, and an annual marathon.
The parade
hotline
is
(202) 619-7222 or go to www.nationalcherry
blossomfestival .org.
Kite makers and flyers of
Smithsonian Kite Festival the Washington Free. (202)
Monument
ages gather at
all
grounds to compete for prizes and trophies.
357-3030.
The Longest Lines Unlike Disney World, a tourist destination with which Washington shares
some
similarities,
D.C. has only
require enduring long queues
FBI (now closed
—most
for renovations).
a handful of attractions that
notably, the U.S. Capitol
Even
ning can virtually guarantee you won't spend hours standing in If your visit to
Washington must coincide with the heavy
read on: There are ways to
make
it
more
and the
at these, a little judicious planline.
tourist season,
tolerable, in spite
of the record
A
Calendar of Festivals and Events
33
April
White House Easter Egg
For children ages 3-6 accompanied by
Roll
an adult. Eggs and entertainment provided. Children of other ages gather on the South Lawn of the White House. Free. (202) 456-2200.
Tour the beautiful gardens of the
White House Spring Garden Tours presidential
home.
Free. (202)
456-2200.
A
William Shakespeare's Birthday events, food,
and
day of music,
theater, children's
exhibits at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Free. (202)
544-4600.
May Memorial Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery Wreathlaying ceremonies at the Kennedy grave site, a presidential wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and services at the Memorial Amphitheater featuring military
bands and a presidential keynote address.
Free.
(202) 697-213 L
Memorial Day Ceremonies at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wreathlaying, speeches, military bands, and a keynote address. Free. (202) 6197222. National
Law Enforcement
ors America's fallen
names
Officers
law enforcement
Memorial Candlelight Vigil officers; official
being added to the memorial, located
and Fikh
Streets,
NW.
Free. (202)
on E
Fion-
dedication of
Street
new
between Fourth
737-3400.
Washington National Cathedral Flower Mart
Each year
different country, with flower booths, entertainment,
is
a salute to a
and decorating
demonstrations. Free. (202) 537-6200.
June American festival
Folklife Festival
of American music,
More than one crafts,
million people attend this
and ethnic foods on the National Mall
each year. Free. (202) 357-2700.
crowds jamming the Mall, the popular museums, portation,
tion
on
and highways. Check
transportation,
and
Part Five (page
1
eateries,
public trans-
19) for detailed informa-
Part Six (page 137) for pages of sight-seeing tips.
Getting to Washington Folks planning a trip to our nation's capital have it
comes
some options when
to getting there: by car, train, or plane. Your distance from
Washington
—and your
tolerance for hassles such as Capital Beltway
34
Part
Planning Your Visit to Washington
One
A CALENDAR OF FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
(continued)
June (continued) Barbecue Battle
Serious competition, cooking demonstrations, free
samples, children's activities. Pennsylvania
and 14th
Capital jazz Fest
Three days of
national acts, workshops, food,
land suburbs. sion
fee.
Avenue
NW between Ninth
(301) 860-0630.
Streets.
Check out
their
live,
contemporary
and juried
Web
site at
crafts.
jazz featuring top
Held
in D.C.'s
Mary-
www.capitaljazz.com. Admis-
(202) 737-2300.
Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Day
Celebration of collections by six
institutions in the area. Activities include textile demonstrations, video
programs, interactive tours, hands-on art programs, historic house tours, food, and crafts. Shuttle service provided. Free. (202) 667-0441.
July National independence Day Celebration
matic readings, a parade
down
(July 4)
A
full
day of dra-
Constitution Avenue, a demonstration of
colonial military maneuvers, entertainment at the Sylvan Theatre, a con-
by the National Symphony Orchestra, and a spectacular fireworks
cert
display over the
Washington Monument.
Soap Box Derby
Soap-box
cars roll
Free. (202)
down
619-7222.
Constitution Avenue between
New Jersey and Louisiana Avenues in Capitol
Hill. Free. (202)
670-1 110.
August Legg Mason Tennis Classic For
tickets, call
Top pro
tennis action in
Rock Creek
Park.
(202) 397-SEAT. For info, go to v^n^n^v.leggmasontennis
classic.com.
U.S.
Army
A concert and pageant at on the Washington Monument grounds. Free. (202)
Band's 1812 Overture Concert
the Sylvan Theatre
208-1631.
gridlock and inconveniently located airports
—
which mode of transportation you ultimately Arriving and Getting Oriented,
will
probably determine
take. (See also Part Four,
p. 93.)
Driving
A
lot
else
of people
who
live in the
populous Eastern Seaboard or anywhere
within a 12-hour drive of D.C. automatically
jump
in the family car
Getting to Washington
35
Summer-long Activities
C&O
Canal Mule-drawn Boat Rides
through October) Mule-
(April
Georgetown and Great Falls, Virginia. Costumed Park Service guides accompany each 60-minute trip, telling the canal's history through stories and song. Admission fee. (301) 299-3613.
drawn barge
rides in
Military
Band Summer Concert Series
Outdoor concerts held every
summer
evening (except Saturdays), from
Memorial Day through Labor
Day, beginning
at 8
p.m. Free. Concerts are held on a rotating basis on the
steps of the U.S. Capitol, the Sylvan Theatre (on the grounds of the
Monument) and
ington
the
Navy Memorial
Avenue). For the current schedule, U.S.
Army
1;
U.S.
Navy Band,
or
Band,
Army Band
holds
its
"Twilight Tat-
7 p.m. on the Ellipse (near die White House) on Wednesdays;
more information on
(202) 685-2852. For visit
Own" Marine
(202) 433-2525; U.S. Air Force Band,
(202) 767-5658. In addition, the U.S. too" at
the service-band information lines:
call
Band, (202) 696-3399; "The President's
(202) 433-401
Wash-
Plaza (on Pennsylvania
concerts, call (202)
685-4989
www.army.mil/armyband. west
Monday
U.S.
Tuesday
U.S. Army Band, various locations
Navy Band,
U.S. Capitol,
U.S. Air Force Band, U.S. Capitol, U.S.
Wednesday
Friday
Navy Band, Navy Memorial
west side
Plaza
Marine Band, U.S. Capitol 7 p.m. on the
U.S. Army
Band "Twilight Tattoo"
U.S. Army
Band, U.S. Capitol, west side
U.S. Air Force Band, Sylvan
Sunday
side
at
Ellipse
Theatre
Marine Band, Sylvan Theatre
Navy Memorial Concerts on the Avenue Series Beginning on Memorial Day at 8 p.m. and continuing each Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. through Labor Day At the U.S. Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania U.S.
Avenue.
Free. (202)
433-2525.
when embarking on
a vacation to
Washington.
And no
wonder: Even
though gasoline prices have increased, a nearly complete interstate highway system makes the car trip both easy and inexpensive. The problem, however,
is
when you
arrive in
Washington ...
or, to
be more exact,
when you hit the notorious Capital Beltway that surrounds the between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. or in
city in
on a weekday morning the afternoon from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Arrive
Pan One
36
Planning Your Visit to Washington
A CALENDAR OF FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
(continued)
September Kalorama House and Embassy Tour Tour selected homes and Woodrow Wilson House. Admission fee. (202) 387-
embassies and the
4062,
ext. 18.
Kennedy Center Prelude
The John
Festival
Performing Arts celebrates the
with
arts
F.
Kennedy Center
free concerts
for the
and performances.
(202) 467-4600; w^ww. kennedy-center.org.
October
An
Marine Corps Marathon
world-class marathoners. Starts
Arlington. Registration
Taste of D.C. Festival
and ethnic
fee.
finishes at the
attracts
thousands of
Iwo Jima Memorial
in
(800) RUN-USMC.
The
best of D.C.'s vast array of restaurant food
one of the
cuisine;
annual event that
and
city's
most popular outdoor
Free
festivals.
admission; purchase tickets for food tastings. (202) 789-7002; www.taste ofdc.org.
White House Fail Garden Tours View the Rose Garden and Lawn to the sounds of a military band. Free. (202) 456-2200.
the South
November Veteran's tery.
Day Ceremonies
Solemn ceremony with
(November
1 1)
Arlington National
military bands to
honor the
Ceme-
nation's
war
dead. (202) 685-2951. Additional ceremonies at the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial on the National Mall, (202) 619-7222; Mount Vernon, (703)
and
why Washington
you'll discover
tion rivaled only by
ing rush hours and
New York and is
has a reputation for
conges-
traffic
Los Angeles: Traffic inches along dur-
astonishingly heavy the rest of the day and
warm-weather weekends
as well. It
on
only gets worse the closer you get to
the Mall. Washington's peculiar geography and eighteenth-century street layout, coupled with unremitting urban
and suburban growth, makes
touring by car almost impossible. Street parking near popular tourist sights
is
If at
all
and parking garages, while
severely limited,
town D.C,
are expensive
possible, leave the car at
tions are excellent,
And where
and
plentiful in
down-
and often inconvenient. Our recommendation:
its
home. Washington's
Metro subway system
is
air
and
rail
connec-
one of the best
in the
—
Metro won't take you Georgetown, Mount Vernon, and the Washington National Cathedral come to mind plentiful
world.
the
—
cabs and commercial touring outfits will. If you do drive, arrive
on
a
Getting to Washington
37
780-2000; and the U.S. Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue, (202) 737-2300.
Free.
December An American Holiday Celebration A holiday music show by the U.S. Army Band at DAR Constitution Hall. Free, but tickets are required to assure seating. After
September
or
An American HoUday Cele-
only, w^rite to:
bration, Building 42, Ft. Leslie].
McNair, Washington, D.C. 20319-5050;
(202) 685-2851 for information.; (866) 239-9425 for reservations.
call
Historic Alexandria Candlelight Tours
Visit
Lloyd House, Gadsby's
Tavern Museum, the Lee-Fendall House, and the Carlyle House in Old
Town Alexandria.
Music, colonial dancing, period decorations, and light
refreshments. Admission
(703) 838-4242.
foe.
National Christmas Tree Lighting/Pageant of Peace
the end of the year, the Ellipse a nativity scene, a
Christmas
is
burning yule
trees representing
\v^ww. pageantofpeace.org.
the
site
of nightly choral performances,
and
a spectacular display of lighted
Pearl
Harbor Day
(December
7)
Pearl Harbor. Free. (202)
Metro
territory. Free.
Wreath-laying ceremony
Nav)^ Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue to
commemorate
(202) 619-
at the
U.S.
the attack
on
737-2300.
to miss the worst traffic, or very early or late
at a hotel
president
log,
each state and
7222;
weekend
The
National Christmas Tree near the White House. Through
lights the giant
on
a
weekday. Stay
with off-street parking and within easy walking distance to a
station.
Use public transportation and leave the
through most of your
car parked
stay.
Taking the Train Washington's gleaming Union Station, recently refurbished and the
most
number
two),
an excellent
is
city's
Museum
is
only one of the reasons that taking the train to D.C.
is
visited tourist attraction (the National Air
idea.
Another
is
and Space
convenience: Folks living along the East
Coast from Boston to Miami are served daily by Amtrak, and
lots
of peo-
ple living east of the Mississippi are close to direct rail service into the nation's capital. (In arrive in
some
Washington
cases
you can board the
in the morning.)
train in the evening
From Union
and
Station you're only
38
Part
Planning Your Visit to Washington
One
minutes from a downtown hotel by cab. Because of the traffic
need
—and
—
for a car
vided a
listing
it's
way
the smart
of some major
service to Washington's
the
city's
exasperating
a public transportation system that virtually eliminates the
Union
number of trains running
to travel to
cities
Washington. We've pro-
with direct Amtrak passenger train
Station (the frequency of service indicates in both directions).
For schedules and reservations,
call
Amtrak
at
(800) 872-7245 or
www.aintrak.com.
AMTRAK PASSENGER TRAIN ReglonlCity
Distance
SERVICE TO WASHINGTON
Travel Time
Frequency
visit
— Getting to Washington
39
some odd restrictions: Planes aren't White House and other sensitive places, so all are routed over the Potomac River; no planes are
closeness to the city has resulted in
allowed to
fly
over the
approaches and
takeofiFs
allowed to take off or land land or take off an hour;
only 37 large
late at night;
and
to and from National to a distance of 1,250 miles or
no international connections, think of National
allowed to
jets are
a "perimeter rule" restricts
nonstop
less.
With
flights
virtually
the "East Coast,
as
short-hop" airport. If you can't get a direct flight into National from your
hometown, consider making National.
It
probably be
will
a
connection that will get you into
faster
—and
more convenient
certainly
than flying into either of the other two airports that serve Washington.
While Reagan
is
our
first
choice for travelers flying into D.C.,
proximity to the bustling city creates problems for the unwary incredibly congested by heavy
parking
is
traffic.
Parking
and renting a
a long bus ride away;
and driving into D.C.
The good
can be a drawn-out, frustrating experience.
terminal should help reduce the curbside congestion.
town
are reasonable; free shuttles can get
or so; and National has
its
own Metro
Dulles International Airport,
wonder: car
It's
as
news:
Cab
A
$1 billion
fares to
down-
your hotel in a half-hour
to
stop.
the other hand,
is
rarely congested.
No
located in the boonies of Virginia, a solid hour fi-om the city by
and with no
known
on
you
close
expensive; long-term
is
car
its
flyer: It's
direct public transportation
downtown. Dulles
an international hub, although domestic
flights
is
primarily
are
on the
1996 doubled the main sly marketing move a few
increase (spurring a construction project that in terminal's size to 1.1 million square feet). In a
became Baltimore/Washington
years back, Baltimore's Friendship Airport
International Airport (BWI).
It
worked: 2000 was a record-breaking year
for this ever-expanding air hub. Southwest, for example, has increased
its
low-cost service to 65 flights a day, attracting a lot of travelers to Washing-
ton
who would otherwise drive. BWI
national market, this
and
busy airport
is
means D.C. -bound the
in still
1997 opened
is
also aggressively
closer to Baltimore than to
tourists face at least a
Washington Monument comes into
arriving at
MARC)
BWI
is
to take the train:
and Amtrak connect
takes almost an hour,
BWI
though
—
pursuing an inter-
a $1 10 million international pier. Yet
Washington, which
50-minute car or van ride before view.
Another option
Mar)dand commuter to D.C.'s
Union
rail
Station.
for folks
service (called
The
train ride
hardly convenient for tourists itching to
explore the marble edifices lining the Mall.
.
Part
Tv/
Accommodations
Deciding Where to Stay On
weekdays, driving and parking in
On
marish.
extremely
way
weekends there
is
downtown Washington traffic
less
difficult, particularly in the area
to get
around Washington
is
are night-
congestion, but parking
is
of the Mall. Because the best
on the Metro, we recommend a hotel With two rather prominent
within walking distance of a Metro station. exceptions,
all
of Washington's best
and Maryland suburbs,
are safely
areas, as well as
most of the Virginia
and conveniently
accessible via this
modern subway system. Only historic Georgetown and the colorful, ethnic Adams-Morgan neighborhood are off-line. Unless you plan to spend most of your time in Georgetown, we suggest that you pick a hotel elsewhere in the city. If you lodge in Georgeclean,
town, you will be reduced to driving or cabbing to get anywhere else. Adams-Morgan, a great neighborhood for dining and shopping, does not offer much in the way of lodging. If you go to Adams-Morgan, especially at night, take a cab.
Some 1
Considerations
When is
choosing your Washington lodging, make sure your hotel
situated in a location convenient to your recreation or business
needs,
and
that while
that it is
it is
in a safe
and comfortable
tion Center (the major convention venue)
downtown
area. Please
note
not practical to walk to the Washington Conven-
hotels, larger conventions
from many of the
and trade shows provide
shuttle service. 2.
Find out
how
renovated.
brochure.
old the hotel
is
and when the guest rooms were
Request that the hotel send you
Ask
if
its
last
promotional
brochure photos of guest rooms are accurate and
current.
41
42
Accommodations
PartTwo
If
3.
If
you
few
a
all;
are not a city dweller, or if
on
a hotel
street
and high up.
you
at
a
more
of Washington
on
are
some charge
dearly for park-
offer free parking.
book
Much
5.
no parking
hotels offer
and
ing; 4.
to take a car, inquire about the parking situation.
you plan
Some
you
are a light sleeper, try to
quiet side street.
Ask
quite beautiful, as
is
is
the
Potomac
room on
a romantic holiday, ask for a
room
for a
off the
River. If
a higher floor
with a good view.
When
6.
you plan your budget, remember
that there
is
a
14.5%
hotel tax (including sales tax) in the District of Columbia.
Washington
7.
States. If
one of the busiest convention
is
your
visit to
cities in
major conventions or trade shows, hotel rooms
and expensive. visit to
at
If,
the United
Washington coincides with one or more
on the other hand, you
will
be both scarce
are able to schedule
your
avoid big meetings, you will have a good selection of hotels
reasonably competitive prices. If you happen to be attending
one of the big conventions, book listed visit,
early
below to get a discounted room
we have
Getting a
and use some of the
rate.
To
assist in
tips
timing your
included a convention and trade show calendar.
Good Deal on
a
Room
Though Washington, D.C., is a major tourist destination, the economics of hotel room pricing is driven by business, government, and convention trade. This translates to high "rack rates" (a hotel's published room rate) and very few bargains. The most modest Econo Lodge or Days Inn in Washington charges from $84 such
as
to
$139
a night,
and mid-range chains,
Holiday Inn and Radisson, ask from $129 to $229.
The good news
is
that Washington, D.C.,
land suburbs offer a staggering
and
its
Virginia and Mary-
number of unusually fine hotels, includThe bad news, of course, is that
ing a high percentage of suite properties.
you can expect In
most
to
pay dearly to stay
the better
cities,
the city center, with
less
in
them.
and more expensive
hotels are located close to
expensive hotels situated farther out. There
normally a trade-off between location and
is
price: If you are willing to stay
commute into downtown, you can expect to your suburban room than you would for a downtown room.
out off the interstate and
pay
less for
In Washington, D.C., unfortunately, In the greater thing.
No
Washington
matter
how
far
it
very rarely works this way.
area, every hotel
you
are
is
seemingly close to some-
from the Capitol, the Mall, and down-
town, you can bank on your hotel being within spitting distance of some bureau, agency, airport, or industrial complex that funnels platoons of
Getting a business travelers into guest
accommodation
every
rooms
has
Mall but
stays full
Where Special
for
example,
with
is
1
nearby National Institutes of Health.
Weekend Rates it's
tough
are
not impossible to get a good deal,
starters,
40%
5 to
usual
30 to 40 minutes away by car from the
visitors to the
some
for the budget-
at least relatively speak-
hotels that cater to business, government,
convention travelers offer special weekend discount
specials
the
Beltway and
the Hotel Discounts Are
conscious,
For
43
Because almost
in a constant flow.
own captive market, apply. The Marriott at the
Although well-located Washington hotels
ing.
a Roonn
its
proximity/price trade-off doesn't
Wisconsin Avenue,
Good Deal on
below normal weekday
rates.
You can
rates that
find out about
by calling individual hotels or by consulting your
and
range from
weekend
travel agent.
Getting Corporate Rates
Many hotels offer discounted corporate rates you do not need
to
work
for a large
(5 to
company
20% off rack).
Usually
or have a special relation-
ship with the hotel to obtain these rates. Simply call the hotel of your rates. Many hotels will guarantee you phone when you make your reservation. Othconditional on your providing some sort of bona
choice and ask for their corporate the discounted rate ers
may make
on
the rate
fides, for instance a fax
the
on your company's
letterhead requesting the rate,
on check-in.
Generally, the
you cannot book the hotel of your choice through a
half-price pro-
or a
company
screening
is
credit card or business card
not rigorous.
Preferred Rates If
may have
gram, you and your travel agent often called a preferred rate.
A
preferred rate could be a discount
initiated to attract a certain class
made
activity,
or a discount
of traveler. Most preferred
rates are pro-
available to travel agents to stimulate their
moted through
to search for a lesser discount,
booking
travel industry publications
and so
are often accessible
only through an agent.
We recommend sounding out your travel agent about possible deals. aware that the
rates
shown on
travel agents'
tems are not always the lowest hotels that tions,
fill
computerized reservations
rates obtainable.
Zero
on
a couple of
your needs in terms of location and quality of accommoda-
and then have your
travel agent call for the latest rates
Hotel reps are almost always more responsive to travel
in
Be
sys-
and
travel agents
agents represent a source of additional business. There
specials.
because
are certain
specials that hotel reps will disclose only to travel agents. Travel agents also
come
in
handy when the
hotel
you want
is
supposedly booked.
A
44
Accommodations
PartTwo
personal appeal from your agent to the hotel's director of sales and mar-
keting will get you a
room more than
half of the time.
Half-price Programs
The
larger discounts
on rooms (35
to
60%),
Washington or anywhere
in
through half-price hotel programs, often called
else, are available
travel
Program operators contract with an individual hotel to provide rooms at deep discounts, usually 50% off rack rate, on a "space available" basis. Space available in practice generally means that you can reserve a clubs.
room
80%
at the
discounted rate whenever the hotel expects to be
occupancy.
A
little
at less
than
calendar sleuthing to help you avoid city-wide
conventions and special events will increase your chances of choosing a
when the discounts are available. Most half-price programs charge an annual membership fee or directory subscription charge of $25 to $125. Once enrolled, you are mailed a
time
membership card and
a directory listing participating hotels.
the directory, you will notice immediately that there are
and exceptions. Some
tions
or times of year. Others the
week or
may
offer a
require
much
Programs
More
you
may
only offer the discount on certain days of
to stay a certain
domestic
established operators offer
hotels to choose
from
restric-
hotels, for instance, "black out" certain dates
smaller discount than
specialize in
Examining
many
in the
50%
nights. Still others
off rack rate.
travel, international travel,
or both.
members between 1,000 and 4,000
United
heavy concentration of hotels in
number of
States. All
California and
of the programs have a
and most have
Florida,
very limited selection of participating properties in
New
a
York City or
and regions of the United States vary The programs with the largest selections of Washington
Boston. Offerings in other considerably.
hotels are Encore, Travel
cities
America
at
Half Price (Entertainment Publica-
tions), International Travel Card, and Quest. Each of these programs
between 4 and
50 hotels in the greater
Washington
lists
area.
D.C. Half-price Hotel Progi Encore Entertainment Publications
One problem
(800) 285-5525; www.entertainment.com
Card
(800) 342-0558
Quest
(800)638-9819
International Travel
50%
(800) 638-0930; www.preferredtraveller.com
with half-price programs
discount. Another slippery problem
the discount
is
rack rate that
may deduct
applied.
Some
nobody would
is
that not
is
all
hotels offer a full
the base rate against
hotels figure the discount
ever have to pay.
which
on an exaggerated
A few participating hotels
the discount from a supposed "superior" or "upgraded"
room
Getting a rate,
even though the room you get
tion.
Though hard
to pin
is
Good Deal on a Roonn
the hotel's standard
45
accommoda-
down, the majority of participating properties
&
Travel Index (a quaron the pubHshed rate in the Hotel work used by travel agents) and work within the spirit of their agreement with the program operator. As a rule, if you travel several times a year, your room rate savings will easily compensate you for pro-
base discounts terly reference
gram membership fees. A noteworthy addendum: Deeply discounted rooms through programs
means
are not
that
commissionable to
you must ordinarily make your own inquiry
tions. If you travel frequently,
your
travel agents. In practical
travel agent,
however, and run a
lot
calls
half-price
terms this
and
reserva-
of business through
he or she will probably do your legwork, lack of com-
mission notwithstanding. Hotel Discounters
Accommodations Express Capitol Reservations
Hotel Discounts
Hotels.com
Quikbook Washington, D.C. Accommodations
(800) 444-7666 (800) 847-4832; www.hotelsdc.com
(800) 715-7666; www.hoteldiscounts.com
(800) 964-6835;
www. hotels.com
(800) 789-9887; www.quikbook.com (800) 503-3338
Wholesalers, Consolidators, and Reservation Services directory,
you can
take advantage of the services of a wholesaler or consolidator.
Whole-
If you
do not want
to join a
program or buy a discount
and consolidators buy rooms, or options on rooms (room blocks), from hotels at a low, negotiated rate. They then resell the rooms at a
salers
through
profit
Most
travel agents
and tour packagers, or
rooms
to participating hotels, but they are disinclined to
wholesaler's or consolidator's relationship with
volume.
rooms
If
any hotel
is
they return rooms unsold, the hotel might not
available to
them
consolidators often offer
50%
directly to the public.
wholesalers and consolidators have a provision for returning unsold
do
The
so.
predicated
make
as
the next time around. Thus, wholesalers
rooms
at
bargain
rates, at
anywhere from
on
many 1
and 5 to
off rack, occasionally sacrificing their profit margin in the process,
to avoid returning the
rooms
to the hotel unsold.
When wholesalers and consolidators deal directly with the public, they frequently represent themselves as "reservation services." When you call, you can ask
for a rate
quote for a particular hotel,
their best available deal in the area
maximum amount you will find
are willing to pay, say so.
something that
will
work
or, alternatively,
where you prefer
ask for
to stay. If there
Chances
are,
is
a
the service
for you, even if they have to shave a
46
Accommodations
PartTwo
dollar or
two ofF
your room
Other times you
tion.
own
their
profit.
Sometimes you
will
have to pay for
when you make your reservausual time, when you check out.
with a credit card,
in advance,
pay
will
at the
Bed-and-Breakfasts (Bi&Bs)
B&Bs
on personal
offer a lodging alternative based
ity that
transcend the
sterile,
they can be quirky. Most, but not
ever,
Some
service
and
B&Bs
all,
are
rooms come with
Not
private baths
may have
all
how-
open year-round.
accept only cash or personal checks, while others take
credit cards.
hospital-
predictable product of chain hotels;
all
major
Some rooms with or vice versa. Some allow
private baths.
a tub but not a shower,
children but not pets; others, pets but not children.
Many B&Bs
provide
only the most basic breakfast, while some provide a sumptuous morning feast. Still
others offer three meals a day.
accessible,
but
it
Because staying are
at a
B&B
recommended, though
come
Most B&Bs
are not wheelchair
never hurts to ask. is
like visiting
B&Bs
someone's home, reservations
with more than ten rooms usually wel-
To help you sort out your B&B options, we recommend Updated regularly, these books describe B&Bs in
walk-ins.
the following guides.
more
detail
than
is
possible in the Unofficial Guide.
and Approved, Bed
Inspected, Rated,
& Breakfasts and Country Inns, by
Beth Burgreen Stuhlman, published by the American Bed Association. Covers the entire United States. Visit
Bed
& Breakfasts— Country Inns and The
Historic Inns,
Breakfast
Official
Guide
to
American
by Deborah Sakach, published by American Historic Inns,
Covers the entire United
Inc.
&
www.abba.com.
Recommended Country
States.
To
phone (949) 499-8070. and Chesapeake Region, by
order,
Inns, Mid-Atlantic
Suzi Forbes Chase, published by the Globe Pequot Press. Covers Virginia,
West
Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia.
To
order,
For Washington area
B&B
reservations,
www.bedandbreakfastdc.com, or tions Ltd. at (202)
New
Jersey,
call
check the
Bed and
Web
Breakfast
Do
answer
is
and
rates
site
located at
Accommoda-
to
Washington.
some direction. Check out the loca-
no, be prepared to give your travel agent
not accept any recommendations
tion
York, and
328-3510.
HelpingYour Travel Agent Help You When you call your travel agent, ask if he or she has been If the
New
phone (800) 243-0495.
at face value.
of any suggested hotel and make certain that the hotel
is
suited to your itinerary.
Because some
may
try to plug
travel agents are unfamiliar
you
with Washington, your agent
into a tour operators or wholesaler's preset package.
.
Getting a This essentially allows the gle
phone
call
this scenario
and
that
is
ness with only
still
travel
collect
agent to
most agents
set
10%
an 8 to
trip
with a
sin-
commission. The problem with
90%
will place
of their Washington busi-
and not much choice
Travel agents will often use wholesalers airlines, like
tions.
up your whole
47
one or two wholesalers or tour operators. In other words,
the line of least resistance for them,
with
Good Deal on a Room
Deltas
Dream
who
it's
for you.
run packages in conjunction
Vacations or Americans Fly-Away Vaca-
Because of the wholesalers exclusive relationship with the
carrier,
these trips are very easy for travel agents to book. However, they will prob-
ably be
more expensive than
who works
To help your 1
by a high-volume wholesaler
a package offered
with a number of airlines in a primarily Washington market. travel
agent get you the best possible deal, do the following:
Determine where you want
to stay in
Washington and,
if possible,
choose a specific hotel. This can be accomplished by reviewing the hotel information provided in this guide
and by writing or
calling
hotels that interest you. 2.
Check out the hotel deals and package vacations advertised in the Sunday travel section of the Washington Post. Often you will be able to find deals that beat the socks off anything offered ia your local paper. See if
you can find
include a hotel you 3.
specials that
fit
your plans and
like.
Call the hotels, wholesalers, or tour operators
whose ads you have
collected. Ask any questions you have concerning their packages,
but do not book your 4.
Tell
your
travel agent
trip
benchmark
against
directly.
about the deals you find and ask
can get you something a
with them
better.
which
The
to
if
he or she
deals in the paper will serve as
compare
alternatives
proposed by
your travel agent. 5.
Choose from among the options that you and your travel agent uncover. No matter which option you elect, have your travel agent
book it
it.
will
and
Even
if you
go with one of the packages in the newspaper,
probably be commissionable
will provide the agent
your behalf Also,
You Make Your
Own
As you poke around trying should know.
First,
always
chain's national toll-free
(at
no additional
return
on
as a travel professional,
able to verily the quality
If
some
and
cost to you)
the time invested
on
your agent should be
integrity of the deal.
Reservation
to find a call
good
deal, there are several things
you
the specific hotel as opposed to the hotel
number. Quite often, the
reservationists at the
48
PartTwo
Accommodations number
national toll-free specials before
you
bargain. If
want
to extend
are
unaware of local
you inquire about corporate are
buying a
hotel's
before you check
How to
Do
Always ask about
not be reluctant to
weekend package,
and
for example,
your stay into the following week, you can often obtain
Do
corporate rate for the extra days.
least the
specials.
rates.
in,
preferably
at
your bargaining, however,
when you make your
reservations.
Evaluate a Travel Package
Hundreds of Washington package vacations are offered to the public each year. Packages should be a win-win proposition for both the buyer and the seller.
The buyer
make only one phone
has to
ing, meals, tours, attraction admissions, seller,
processing,
bulk on contract large
and even golf and
and
The
tennis.
also
buy
airfares in
broker playing the commodities market. Buying a
number of airfares
significant savings
one
addition to streamlining
billing. In
and administration, some packagers like a
just
rental car, lodg-
with the buyer only once, eliminating the need
likewise, has to deal
for separate sales, confirmations, sales,
and deal with
call
up the whole vacation: transportation,
salesperson to set
advance allows the packager to buy them
in
from posted
fares.
The same
hotel rooms. Because selling vacation packages
practice
is
an
is
at a
also applied to
efiPicient
way of doing
business,
and because the packager can often buy individual package com-
ponents
(airfare,
lodging, etc.) in bulk at discount, savings in operating
expenses realized by the
seller are
sometimes passed on to the buyer. In
addition to being convenient, such packages can be exceptional values. In
any event, that
is
the
way
it is
supposed to work.
All too often, in practice, the seller cashes in
none on
to the buyer. In
some
extras that cost the packager next to
sky-high.
As you may
on discounts and passes up with
instances, packages are loaded
nothing but
inflate the retail price
expect, the savings to be passed along to customers
evaporate.
When considering a package, sure to use. for
Whether you
them. Second,
few phone individual
calls
if
and
cost
the package price
is
deal. If the costs are
is
all
choose one that includes features you are the features or not, you will certainly pay
of greater concern than convenience, make a
what the package would
see
components
use
(airfare, rental car,
less
than the a
la carte cost,
about the same, the package
you booked its on your own. If
cost if
lodging, etc.)
the package is
is
a
good
probably worth buy-
ing just for the convenience. If
your package includes a choice of rental car or "airport transfers"
(transportation to visiting
and from the
Washington
During the weekend,
you
for the it is
don't visit the dreaded
airport), take the transfers unless
weekend and
relatively easy to get
"monument
you
are
don't plan to visit the Mall.
alley."
around by car
as
During the week,
long as
forget
it;
Tips for Business Travelers
a car if
is
definitely not the
way
do take the
to go. If you
car,
49
be sure to ask
the package includes free parking at your hotel.
Tips for Business Travelers The primary considerations imity to the zone(s)
site
for business travelers are affbrdability
and prox-
or area where you will transact your business. Identify the
where your business
will take
you on the maps on pages 8-9, and
then use the Accommodations Chart on pages 68-82 to cross-reference the
Once you have developed
hotels located in that area.
hotels that are conveniently located,
fit
a short
your budget, and
of accommodations you require, you (or your
list
of possible
offer the standard
travel agent)
can make use of
the cost-saving suggestions discussed earlier to obtain the lowest
rate.
Lodging Convenient to Washington Convention Center If
you
meeting or trade show
are attending a
at
Washington Convention
downtown Washington, where at within walking distance. From most down-
Center, look for convenient lodging in least a
town
half-dozen hotels are
hotels,
Washington Convention Center
cab or shuttle ride away. Parking it is
expensive and not
is
that convenient.
all
is
a five- to eight-minute
available at the convention center, but
We recommend that you leave
at home and use shuttles and cabs. The Washington Convention Center is about
your car
a two-and-a-half-
Metro stations. Mount Vernon Square/Convention Center, and Metro Station. The walk passes through a section of town that is safe during daylight hours. Commuting to Washington Convention Center from the suburbs or block
walk
from
nearest
the
the airports during rush hour
you want need
a
a
room
one of the
is
something to be avoided
room downtown, book at the last
early
—very
early. If you
if possible. If
screw up and
minute, try a wholesaler or reservation service, or
strategies listed below.
Convention Rates: How They Work and If you are attending a
How to Do
Better
major convention or trade show,
it is
probable that
the meeting's sponsoring organization has negotiated "convention rates"
with a number of hotels. Under a certain
number of rooms
Sometimes,
as in the case
In the event of
a large,
room
block.
arrangement, hotels agree to "block"
of a small meeting, only one hotel
is
involved.
citywide convention at Washington Convention
Center, however, almost in the
at
this
an agreed-upon price for convention-goers.
all
downtown and
airport hotels will participate
50
Accommodations
PartTwo
Because the convention sponsor brings a
of business to the
lot
city
and
number of rooms, it usually can negotiate a volume discount on the room rates, a rate that should be substantially below rack rate. The bottom line, however, is that some conventions and trade shows reserves a large
have more clout and negotiating tion sponsor
Once
may or may
a convention or trade
with participating hotels, includes
all
skill
than others. Hence, your conven-
not be able to obtain the lowest possible
it
show sponsor has completed
will
send
attendees a housing
its
rate.
negotiations list
that
the hotels serving the convention, along with the special con-
When
vention rate for each.
you
receive the housing
list,
you can com-
pare the convention rates with the rates obtainable using the strategies
covered in the previous section. If the negotiated convention rate doesn't
sound
like a
good
you can
deal,
try to reserve a
room
using a half-price
club, a consolidator, or a tour operator.
Remember, however,
of the deep discounts are available only
when
less
than
vention
Here 1.
80% occupancy,
is
are
some
tips for
Reserve
early.
meeting
sites
book
a condition that rarely prevails
beating convention
Most one
as far in
big conventions
advance
much
list
Use
if,
for
your convention's housing
on the convention
some
reason,
this guide. list
you need
some rooms, even
on page
hotel
list,
list,
compare
You might be
it
able to
that better suits your needs.
to
make
is
use-
reservations at the
in the
Book
midst of a huge conven-
on wholesalers and consolida-
45.)
a hotel
somewhat
distant
situated close to the Metro.
from the convention center but
You may
save
money on your room
and your commuting time underground
center will often be shorter than
downtown 5.
its
better that the hotel will have space available.
tion or trade show. (See our section
rate,
Get your reservation
using a half-price club. If you
minute. Local reservation agencies and consolidators almost
always control
tors
and trade shows announce
a local reservation agency or consolidator. This strategy
even
last
as possible
of hotels presented in
find a hotel not
4.
a big con-
rates:
to three years in advance.
If you've already got
with the
ful
when
well before the convention sponsor sends out
chances are
3.
many
in town.
booked
2.
that
the hotel expects to be at
if
you take
to the
convention
a cab or drive
from a
hotel.
downtown or near a Metro line. Bed and Breakfast Accommodations Ltd., at (202) 328-3510, or www.bedandbreakfastdc.com, can help you locate one. Stay in a bed and breakfast, either
1
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked
Hotel and Motel Toll-free For your convenience, we've
numbers, including for
many
TDDs
and motel
hotel
5
Numbers
listed
on the next page the
toll-free
phone
for the
Deaf)
(Telecommunication Device
chains.
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked What's Except
much
a
in
Room? of repair, and decor, most travelers do not pay
for cleanliness, state
attention to hotel rooms. There
of quality
and luxury
of course, a discernable standard
is,
that differentiates
Motel 6 from Holiday Inn, Holi-
day Inn from Marriott, and so on. In general, however, hotel guests
fail
to
some rooms are better engineered than others. Contrary to what you might suppose, designing a hotel room is (or should be) a lot more complex than picking a bedspread to match the carpet and drapes. Making the room usable to its occupants is an art, a planning discipline that combines both form and function. appreciate that
Decor and eral
room where
beyond the decor, is.
the decor
we have
seen
that are simply not well designed for stay in a hotel,
pay attention
one wants
to
spend
some
how
"livable" a hotel
human
habitation.
to the details
The
feel
comfortable and
takes the Unofficial
It
hotel room.
Here
are a
paying attention
start
Room large
Size
at
own
make
Guide researchers about 40 minutes to inspect a
may want
to
to:
While some smaller rooms is
are cozy
and well designed, a
generally preferable, especially for a stay of
three days.
to control the is
will
home.
Temperature Control, Ventilation, and Odor quiet,
next time
and design elements of
few of the things we check that you
and uncluttered room
more than
room
rooms
beautifully appointed
your room. Even more than decor, these are the things that
you
sev-
dated, garish, or even ugly. But
is
certain variables determine
In Washington, D.C.,
you
No
important, certainly.
taste are
days in a
temperature of the room.
central heating
thermostat.
The
and
air
The
The
guest should be able
best system, because
it's
so
conditioning, controlled by the room's
next best system
is
a
room module
heater
and
air
conditioner, preferably controlled by an automatic thermostat, but usually
by manually operated button
controls.
The worst system
is
central
heat and air without any sort of room thermostat or guest control.
The
vast majority of hotel
rooms have windows or balcony doors that Though there are some legitimate
have been permanently secured shut. safety
and
liability issues involved,
we
prefer
windows and balcony doors
52
PartTwo
Accommodations
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked that can be
opened
admit
to
fresh
and smoke-free, and should not
Room
Security
air.
Hotel rooms should be odor-free
feel stuffy
rooms have
Better
and
instead of the traditional lock
or damp.
locks that require a plastic card
key. Card-and-slot systems allow the
hotel to change the combination or entry code of the lock with each
guest who
room.
uses the
53
new
A burglar who has somehow acquired a room key
to a conventional lock can afford to wait until the situation
using the key to gain access.
Not
is
right before
Though
so with a card-and-slot system.
the largest hotels and hotel chains with lock and key systems usually rotate their locks
once each
year,
Many smaller
the time.
they remain vulnerable to hotel thieves
much
of
or independent properties rarely rotate their locks.
In addition to an entry lock system, the door should have a deadbolt a chain that can be locked
and preferably itself is
not
Doors should
sufficient.
also
from the
inside.
have a peephole.
A
chain by
Windows and
balcony doors should have secure locks.
Every room should have a
Safety tions,
and preferably
surface,
and shower
slide side-to-side.
and not too Noise or
stalls
clear fire instruc-
should have doors that either open outward or
Bathroom
electrical outlets
travelers
activities
should be high on the wall rails.
have been kept awake by the television, partying,
of people in the next room, or by
street outside. Better hotels are
and
smoke alarm,
close to the sink. Balconies should have sturdy, high
Most
amorous
or
fire
a sprinkler system. Bathtubs should have a nonskid
traffic
on the
designed with noise control in mind. Wall
ceiling construction are substantial, effectively screening out routine
noise. Carpets
and drapes,
in addition to being decorative, also absorb
and muffle sounds. Mattresses mounted on
stable platforms or sturdy
bed frames do not squeak even when challenged by the most passionate lovers. Televisions
enclosed in cabinets, and with volume governors,
rarely disturb guests in adjacent
rooms.
In better hotels, the air conditioning and heating system
is
well main-
tained and operates without noise or vibration. Likewise, plumbing quiet and positioned
away from the sleeping and well
to adjoining rooms, are thick
Darkness Control not quite
up way
come
Ever been in a hotel
wee hours,
sleep late
it's
Doors
fitted to better
room where
together in the middle? In
into the
where you can
area.
cities
to the hall,
is
and
keep out noise. the curtains
where many
would
visitors stay
important to have a dark, quiet room
without the morning sun blasting you out of
bed. Thick, lined curtains that close completely in the center and extend
beyond the dimensions of the window or door frame
are required. In a
well-planned room, the curtains, shades, or blinds should almost totally
block light at any time of day.
54
Accommodations
PartTwo
Poor lighting
Lighting
The
hotel rooms.
watching
is
lighting
television,
common problem
an extremely
in
American
usually adequate for dressing, relaxing, or
is
but not for reading or working. Lighting needs to be
bright over tables and desks and alongside couches or easy chairs. Since
many people read in bed, there should be a separate light for each person. A room with two queen beds should have an individual light for so
four people. Better bedside reading lights illuminate a small area, so
you want
to sleep
and someone
not be bothered by the
on
will
The worst
situation
is
a single
if
will
lamp
In addition, closet areas should be well
seen but desirable feature
is
or most lights in the
lit,
made with
often
and there should be
room when you
com-
enter.
a switch
A seldom
a bedside console that allows a guest to con-
room from
the bed.
At bare minimum, the bed(s) must be
Furnishings
is
of insufficient wattage.
light bulbs
near the door that turns on lights in the
be
far
have sufficient light to read. This deficiency
pounded by
trol all
by
you
read,
between the beds. In each bed, only the person next to the
a table
lamp
light.
up and
else prefers to stay
nonallergenic
firm. Pillows should
and, in addition to the sheets and
fillers
spread, a blanket should be provided. Bedclothes should be laundered
with a fabric
sofiiener
extra blankets
and changed
and pillows
daily. Better hotels usually
room
in the
or
a second top sheet between the blanket
There should be a dresser during a five-day chair,
stay.
A
should be provided.
large
provide
on request and sometimes use
and the spread.
enough
to
hold clothes for two people
small table with two chairs, or a desk with a
The room should be equipped with
a luggage
rack and a three-quarter- to full-length mirror.
The
television should be color, be cable-connected,
volume governor and remote
control.
It
and
ideally have a
should be mounted on a swivel
base and preferably enclosed in a cabinet. Local channels should be
posted on the
set,
and a
local
TV program guide should be supplied.
The telephone should be touchtone, conveniently situated use,
and should have, on or near
and
a rate card. Local white
hotels have
it,
easily
for bedside
understood dialing instructions
and yellow pages should be provided. Better
phones in the bath and equip room phones with long cords.
Well-designed hotel rooms usually have a plush armchair or a sleeper sofa for lounging
and reading. Better headboards
are
padded
for
com-
fortable reading in bed, and there should be a nightstand or table on each side of the bed(s). ator, a digital
Bathroom son dresses
as
refriger-
alarm clock, and a coffeemaker.
Two
counter space.
Nice extras in any hotel room include a small
sinks are better than one,
A sink outside the bath
is
and you cannot have too much
a great convenience
when one per-
another bathes. Sinks should have drains with stoppers.
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked Better bathrooms have both a tub
Tub and shower
and
a
shower with
a
55
nonsHp bottom.
controls should be easy to operate. Adjustable shower
heads are preferred.
The bath needs
to be well
lit
and should have an
exhaust fan and a guest-controlled bathroom heater. Towels should be
and fluffy, and provided in generous quantities, as should hand towels and washcloths. There should be an electrical outlet for each sink, conveniently and safely placed. Complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and lotion are a plus, as are large, soft,
robes and bathmats. Better hotels supply their bathrooms with tissues
and extra
toilet paper.
Luxurious baths feature a phone, a hair dryer,
sometimes
a small television, or even a Jacuzzi.
Vending
There should be complimentary
each
Welcome
floor.
(combs, toothpaste) machine. that have
Room To
ice
and
a drink
machine on
additions include a snack machine and a sundries
The
latter are
seldom found
in large hotels
24-hour restaurants and shops.
Ratings
separate properties according to the relative quality, tasteftilness, state
of repair, cleanliness, and
size
of their standard rooms, we have grouped
the hotels and motels into classifications denoted by
•••••
stars:
56
Accommodations
PartTwo
In addition to stars (which delineate broad categories), a numerical rating system.
and
possible rating
the difference
may
be in the same
Embassy
rated as
87 and 86,
means
83. This
The
at the
Suites
employ
and another
Marriott Tysons
the
that
Morrison House, the Corner,
for
(four stars). In the supplemental numeri-
Downtown
while the Marriott Tysons Corner
that within the four-star category, the
Downtown
are comparable,
are
rated
is
Morrison House
and that both have
rooms than the Marriott Tysons Corner.
nicer
location
where you
****
respectively,
and the Embassy
somewhat
Rooms
category
also
Numerical ratings are presented to
Morrison House and the Embassy Suites
cal ratings, the
rated
star
we
0-100, with 100 the best
is
perceive between one property
Downtown, and
Suites all
rating scale
(zero) the worst.
we
show
instance, are
Our
column
identifies the greater
Washington
area (by zone)
will find a particular property.
How the Accommodations Compare Cost estimates are based on the
hotel's published rack rates for standard rooms. Each "$" represents $50. Thus, a cost symbol of "$$$" means a
room
(or suite) at that hotel will cost
Below strictly
is
on room
ices, recreation,
about $150 a night.
parade of the nicest rooms in town. We've focused
a hit
quality
and excluded any consideration of location,
or amenities. In
can be had for the same
some
instances, a one- or
two-room
you used previous editions of this guide, you may notice of the ratings and rankings have changed. These changes
new
properties,
well as guest
as
improved maintenance and housekeeping
A
failure to properly
suite
price or less than that of a hotel room.
If
inclusion of
serv-
room
that
many
reflect the
renovations or
in previously listed properties.
maintain guest rooms or a lapse in housekeeping
standards can negatively affect the ratings. Finally, before letter
We
we
you begin
to
shop for a
received from a couple in
cancelled our
room
Hot
hotel, take a
hard look
at this
Springs, Arkansas:
reservations to follow the advice in your book [and
reserved a hotel room highly ranked by the Unofficial Guide]. We wanted inexpensive, but clean grim, It
and
depressing.
I
and cheerful.We got inexpensive, but disappointed
really felt
was the pits.That was the one
real piece
your book! The room spoiled the holiday for
Needless to to
our reader.
say, this letter
Our
intentions and the
room
of information
me
we
I
provide our readers.
in every hotel.
needed from
aside from our touring.
as unsettling to us as the
most conscientious
[also] dirty,
your advice and the room.
integrity as travel journalists, after
quality of the information
inspect every
was
in
bad room was
all, is
based on the
Even with the best of
research, however,
What we do,
we cannot
in statistical terms,
is
take
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked a sample:
We
check out several rooms selected
and base our
ratings
at
random
in
57
each hotel
and rankings on those rooms. The inspections
are
conducted anonymously and without the knowledge of the management. Although
it is
randomly inspect ticular hotel.
unusual,
it is
Another
possibility
hotel are representative but that that
is
inferior.
certainly possible that the
rooms we
are not representative of the majority of rooms at a par-
When we
is
that the
rooms we inspect
by bad luck a reader
is
in a given
room we dis-
assigned a
rechecked the hotel our reader disliked,
covered that our rating was correctly representative but that he and his wife had unfortunately been assigned to one of a small
number of thread-
bare rooms scheduled for renovation.
The key to avoiding disappointment is to snoop around in advance. We recommend that you ask for a photo of a hotel's standard guest room before
you book, or
at least get a
Be forewarned, however, photo in
their
that
promotional
room may not resemble
travel
agent
was
up
last
ask
how
hotel's
promotional brochure.
hotel chains use the
literature for
guest
call,
copy of the
some
the brochure photo.
old the property
same guest room
hotels in the chain; a specific
all
is
When
room that does not moved to another room.
renovated. If you arrive and are assigned a
to the brochure's promises,
demand
to be
you or your
and when your guest room
HOW THE ACCOMMODATIONS COMPARE
live
58
PartTwo
Accommodations
HOW THE ACCOMMODATIONS COMPARE (continued) Star
Accommodations Sofitel Lafayette
Zone
Rating
Quality
Rating
Cost $=$50
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked
HOW THE ACCOMMODATIONS COMPARE (continued)
59
60
PartTwo
Accommodations
HOW THE ACCOMMODATIONS COMPARE (continued)
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked
HOW THE ACCOMMODATIONS COMPARE (continued)
61
62
PartTwo
Accommodations
ACCOMMODATIONS
LISTED BY Star
Accommodations
Zone
3;
Rating
Downtown
Best Western Capitol
Hill
Capitol Hilton
Connfort Inn
Downtown
Four Points Sheraton
Downtown
Grand Hyatt Washington Hamilton
Crowne
Plaza
Hay-Adams Hotel Hilton Garden Inn
Holiday Inn Capitol
Holiday inn
Downtown
Holiday Inn on the
Hotel Monaco Hotel Washington
Hill
ZONE
(continued)
Quality
Rating
Cost $=$S0
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked
ACCOMMODATIONS
LISTED BY
ZONE
(continued)
63
64
PartTwo
Accommodations
ACCOMMODATIONS
LISTED BY
ZONE (continued)
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked
ACCOMMODATIONS
LISTED BY
ZONE
Quality
Zone
Accommodations Zone
/
/:
Comfort
Virginia
Inn
Suburbs
(continued)
Washington Gateway
Rating
(continued)
Star
Rating
Cost $=$50
65
66
PartTwo
Accommodations
ACCOMMODATIONS LISTED BY ZONE (continued) Quality
Zone
Accommodations
Zone
1
1:
Virginia
Suburbs
(continued)
Sheraton National Sheraton Pentagon South
Sheraton Premiere Tysons Corner Sheraton Suites Alexandria
Washington National Airport Hilton
Washington Suites Alexandria
Rating
• •*l/2
Star Rating
Cost $=$50
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked
TOP
30
BEST DEALS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
67
68
PartTwo
Accommodations Information Chart
Accommodations American
Inn of
Bethesda
Star Rating
Quality Rating
Street
Zone Address
American
Phone
Fax
Reservations
Rack Rate
(301)
(301)
(800)
$$$+
656-9300
656-2907
323-7081
Toll-free
Local
(202)
745-3600
New
Carrollton
No. of
On-site Dining
Inn of Bethesda-Courtyard
Rooms 76
•
69
Pool
70
PartTwo
Accommodations Information Chart
Accommodations
Courtyard Rosslyn-Georgetown Inn Toll-free
Rack
No. of
Phone
Fax
Reservations
Rate
Rooms
(703)
(703)
(800)
$$$$-
62
528-2222
528-1027
321-2211
Local
(202)
332-9300
On-site Dining
71
Pool
72
PartTwo
Accommodations Information Chart
Accommodations
Governor's House-Holiday Inn Rosslyn
Local
Phone
73
74
PartTwo
Accommodations Information Chart
Accommodations Holiday Inn Select
Bethesda
Star Rating
Quality Rating
Street
Zone Address
Holiday Inn Select Bethesda-Llncoln Suites
Local
Phone (301)
652-2000
Fax
Toll-free
Rack
No. of
Reservations
Rate
Rooms
On-site Dining
75
Pool
76
PartTwo
Accommodations Information Chart
Accommodations -Loews
L'Enfant Plaza
Star Rating
Quality Rating
Street
Zone Address
Loews L'Enfant Plaza-Red Roof Local
Phone
Inn
Downtown
77
78
PartTwo
Accommodations Information Chart
Accommodations Renaissance
Mayflower Hotel
Star Rating
Quality Rating
Street
Zone Address
Renaissance Mayflower Hotel-Washington Marriott Hotel
Local
Phone
79
80
PartTwo
Accommodations Information Chart
Accommodations
3
Washington National Airport Hilton-Wyndham Washington Toll-free
Local
Phone
Fax
Reservations
(703)
(703)
(800)
418-6800
418-3763
HILTONS
(202)
(202)
(800)
842- 300
371-9602
424-1140
1
(800)
(202)
(202)
898-9000
789-42
(703)
(703)
(877)
370-9600
370-0467
736-2500
(202)
(202)
(877)
333-8060
955-5765
736-2500
(202)
(202)
(800)
232-7000
332-8436
222-TREE
(202)
(202)
(800)
965-2300
337-7915
424-2736
(202)
(202)
(800)
293-2100
293-0641
325-3535
1
Rack Rate
No. of
$$$-
386
$$$$-
339
$$$-
800
$$$+
225
$$$$$$-
239
$$$$$-
219
$$$$-
235"
$$$$$$H
206
$$$$$$
263
$$$$$$$$-
340
Rooms
228-9898
(202)
(202)
(888)
429-0100
429-9759
625-5144
(202)
(202)
(800)
628-9100
637-7326
327-0200
(202)
(202)
(800)
483-7700
332-4547
247-3064
(202)
(202)
(800)
775-0800
331-9491
WYNDHAM
(202)
(202)
(800)
429-1700
785-0786
WYNDHAM
$$$-
43
$$$-
353
$$$$
400
On-site Dining
81
Pool
Part Three
Visiting
Washington
on Business
Not All Visitors Are Headed
for the
While most of the more than 21 million people
each year are tourists, not everyone visiting the city has tered
around the National Mall. In
fact,
Mall
who come
to
Washington
an itinerary cen-
almost 1.5 million
visitors are
convention-goers attending shows at the Washington Convention Center, located in
downtown Washington.
States government, the
around the world
who
city
In addition, as the seat of the United
draws another 4.5 million
fly in to
visitors
from
conduct business with both federal
agencies and a wide array of private organizations headquartered here.
The
city
is
also a center of higher education.
The
District
is
home
to
George Washington University, Georgetown University, American University, Howard University, and the Catholic Universit)^ of America,
among others. As
a result,
college administrators,
In to
many on
attracts a lot
of visiting academics,
their families.
ways, the problems facing business visitors on their
Washington don't
intent
Washington
and students and
differ
much from
first trip
the problems of folks in
hitting the major tourist attractions. People visiting
town
on business
that's convenient, want to avoid the worst of the same problems getting around an unfamiliar city, must figure out how to buy a Metro ticket, and want to know the locations of the best restaurants. This book can help.
need to locate a hotel city's traffic,
face the
For the most part, though, business visitors aren't nearly
about the timing of their destination.
spring and
visit as folks
While we advise fall,
who
that the best times for
the necessities of business
—
as flexible
pick Washington as a vacation
may
coming
to
D.C.
are
dictate that January
when you pull into town or, even worse, early April, when mobbed for the Japanese cherry blossom festivities.
the city
is is
83
84
s
g
88
PartThree
Visiting Washington
on Business
A CONVENTION CENTER CALENDAR The
city's
considerable convention business (1.5 million delegates in
hard to get a hotel room in and around the
2004) can make
it
the following
of major 2005 and 2006 convention dates to plan your
trip to
list
Washington.
2005
Dates
city.
Use
A Convention
1
-24
Congressional Black Caucus
5,000
SepL 26-28
American College of Emergency Physicians
Oct. 3-5
Association of the U.S. Army
Oct. 8-
1
American Academy of
I
89
Attendees
Convention/Event
Dates Sept. 2
Center Calendar
5.000
20,000
Pediatrics
Convention
10.000
Oct. 17-20
Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics
Oct. 30-Nov. 2
Water Environment Federation
18.000
Nov. 13-16
Society for Neuroscience
26.000
Dec. 4-^
American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting
3.000
Dec. 7- 10
National Association for the Education of
12,000
Dec. 23-26
Parkinsons Disease Foundation
12,000
Young Children
World
5.000
Conference
2006
Attendees
Convention/Event
Dates
Mar 7-9
FOSE
60,000
Mar 8-23
Association of Peri Operative Registered
14,000
1
Nurses
Apr 2-5
American Association of Cancer Research
May 8-
American College of
1
OB-GYNS
10.000 14.000
May 12-14
American Red Cross
5.000
June 10-12
American Diabetes Association
8.000
June 25-28
Society for
Human Resource Management
15.000
July
2-6
Youth for Christ
20.000
July
9-15
American Cancer Society
25.000
July
25-28
MassMutual Leaders Conference 2006
3.000
Aug. 14-18
Gospel Music Workshop of America
6,000
Sept. 6-7
Affordable Meetings Exhibition
3,000
Sept.
6-9
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
5,000
20.000
Sept. 15-17
Natural Products Expo East
SepL 28-30
American Academy of Family Physicians
17,000
Oct. 8-1
Association of the U.S. Army
20.000
Nov.
1
I
9-2
Dec. 1-2
1
American Academy of Religion
9.500
National Council for the Social Studies
4.500
90
Visiting Washington
PartThree
much
Yet
Guide
is
on Business
of the advice and information presented in the Unofficial
as valuable to business visitors as
it is
to tourists.
As
our
for
rec-
who knows? Perhaps ommendations on seeing the city's many sights you'll be able to squeeze a morning or an afternoon out of your busy .
schedule, grab this book, attractions that
each
and spend
draw the other
.
few hours exploring some of the
a
7 million people
1
.
who
visit
Washington
year.
The Washington Convention Center In the
fall
of 1998, ground was broken for a
new $800
million Washing-
ton Convention Center, located two blocks from the existing center at
Mount Vernon
Square.
The
which opened
building,
in
2003, has more
than 2 million square feet of space, including 725,000 square feet of exhibit space, 500,000 square feet of contiguous space,
rooms
totaling
150,000 square
feet. It's
and 70 meeting
the largest building in
D.C.
The Washington Convention Center is a four-level structure located seven blocks from the White House on a 17-acre site bounded by Mount The center contains Vernon Place, Ninth, N, and Seventh Streets,
NW
56 meeting rooms (some 151,000 square square
feet,
provides
all
feet,
divisible),
3 ballrooms, and 5 exhibit halls with
194,000 square
and 119,000 square
feet
feet,
128,000 square
of space,
feet,
respectively.
111,000
The Center
food and beverage services on the premises, including catered
meals and brand restaurants
like
Wolfgang Puck's and Starbucks.
For both exhibitors and attendees, the Washington Convention Center 1
is
an excellent
site for a
million visitors in
up
their exhibits
its first
with a
meeting or trade show, and attracted nearly year.
Large and small exhibitors alike can set
minimum
of effort. Forty- two loading docks and
huge bay doors make unloading and loading quick and simple displays arriving are
unloaded in the same
carried or
area, entering
from
wheeled directly to the exhibit
meeting rooms are well marked and easy to call
for large
by truck. Smaller displays transported in vans and
(202) 789-1600, (800) 368-9000 or
cars
N Street. Equipment can be area.
The
find.
For more information,
visit
exhibit areas
and
www.dcconvention.com.
Lodging within Walking Distance of the Convention Center While
participants in citywide conventions lodge
all
over town, a couple
of hotels are within easy walking distance of the Convention Center: the
Grand Hyatt (phone (202) 582-1234) and the Hamilton Crowne Plaza (phone (202) 682-0111). The Grand Hyatt, directly across the street from the Center, features 900 rooms and 65 suites. The Hamilton
The Washington Convention Center Crowne
Plaza,
two blocks away
at
91
Metro Center, has 318 rooms, each
supplied with a minibar, and 40 suites.
Other hotels within
a
few blocks of the Washington Convention Cen-
ter are:
Hotel Marriott at Metro Center
Rooms
Suites
Distance
92
PartThree
Visiting Washington
on Business
347-4656. For a quiet business lunch, the Old Ebbitt Grill Street, (202)
347-4800, should
fill
the
bill.
For more exotic
at
675 15th
tastes, try
the
Moroccan fare at Marrakesh at 617 New York Avenue, (202) 393-9393, or the Burmese cuisine at Burma, 740 6th Street, (202) 638-1280. For fast food,
Shops
NW,
at
choose from Hardee's, McDonald's, Taco Bell Express, and the National Place, a three-level mall located at
that features a food court.
1
3th and F
Streets,
Part Four
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Coming
into the City
By Car If
you
drive,
you
most
will
on one of
likely arrive
three freeways: Inter-
state 95 from the north, 1-95 from the south, or 1-70 from the northwest.
Washington
Other routes that converge
in
links with 1-81 in Virginias
Shenandoah
are 1-66
Valley),
from the west (which
US
50 (which hooks up
US 301, and Maryland's Eastern Shore), and Parkway, which parallels 1-95 between the Washington Baltimorethe
with Annapolis, Maryland,
two
cities'
beltways.
All these routes have ton's
one
common
link:
They connect with Washing-
Capital Beltway, a ribbon of concrete encircling the
introduction to
how
city.
Now for an
unfriendly D.C. freeways can be to unsuspecting
motorists: Part of the Beltway
is
numbered both
and 1-495. Why?
1-95
Since 1-95 doesn't cut directly through Washington (the
way
Richmond
rerouted along
to the south
and Baltimore
the southern half of the Beltway.
only the
first
Drivers
It's
to the north),
it's
it
does in
quite confusing to visitors, and
coming from
the north
and 1-70 and headed downtown
should take the Beltway to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and south. Bear right onto straight to
From
Our map
into
it
D.C. near the center of the
destination. If you need to
then.
Both get you
tourist
advice to drivers unfamiliar with Washington
home and
And
make
don't try to fight the
a
exit
goes
either 1-66 or 1-395 (what
crosses inside the Beltway).
before you leave
it
Station.
and west, motorists can take
1-95 becomes after
a
New York Avenue where the Parkway splits;
downtown, near Union
the south
Potomac and
it's
of many Washington driving horrors you'll encounter.
careftilly trace
phone
call
across the
hubbub. is
to
sit
down with
out the route to your
or two for directions, do
weekday rush hour
traffic
it
(6:30-9:30
a.m. and 3-7 p.m.).
93
94
Part Four
Arriving and Getting Oriented
By Plane While Washington
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
major
cially has three
domestic
airports, this
is
the
far for
on the Virginia
side of
a few miles south of the city
flyers, just
the Potomac. Don't ask a friend to pick you up: Parking
cramped
facility.
A
offi-
most convenient by
is
terrible at this
courtesy van service can whisk you into town from
the Virginia side of the Potomac.
A
$1 billion, l-miUion-square-foot main terminal that opened in the
summer of 1 997 improved
National's notorious reputation as a cramped,
The
hard-to-get-in-and-out-of airport.
terminal features seamless con-
nection between ground transportation, parking, buses, and D.C.'s subway.
It
also boasts a
food court, 32 elevators, 26 escalators, 12 baggage
carousels, dozens of retail stores,
across the
Potomac
River.
and
a great
view of the nation's capital
Along with 6,500 new parking
new
spaces,
roadways, and expanded curb space and travel lanes (8 lanes for lowerlevel
baggage claims, 5 lanes for upper-level ticket counters),
facility
makes things much
this
newest
easier for travelers.
Nearly 5,000 parking spaces are housed in the parking garage directly across
from the terminal and
moving
are reached via
Metro mezzanines connect D.C.'s subway system pedestrian bridges spanning the airport's roads. tion centers located
Metro,
Cab
taxi service, fares to
on the baggage claim
level
Two
sidewalks.
two
to the terminal via
Two ground
transporta-
provide information on
SuperShuttle vans, and rental
cars.
nearby downtown Washington are reasonable ($9-$ 19).
SuperShuttle shared-service vans leave every destination in the
D.C.
to
5 (or fewer) minutes to
any
range from $18-$22 to any address in
area. Fares
Washington and from $12
1
more than $30
in the Virginia
land suburbs. Three SuperShuttle ticket counters are located
and Mary-
at
National;
look for the "Washington Flyer/SuperShuttle" signs posted throughout the airport. For
more information,
and
exact fares,
reservations for
VAN (258-3826) or go
to
Washington-Dulles International Airport
Foreign
at
Dulles, although AirTran (formerly Valujet)
and Western
return pick-up to National,
(800) BLUE
call
www.supershuttle.com.
increased the airport's domestic traffic
few
years. Reflecting that
nal,
which doubled the
growth
size
is
flights
arrive
Pacific
volume considerably
have
in the last
DuUes's expansion of the main termi-
of the building to
1
.
1
million square
feet.
Yet
Dulles remains the least convenient of the three airports serving Washington. Located in the rolling Virginia countryside
Dulles
is
about a 45-minute drive from downtown
hour. Use the Dulles Access Road,
way and
1-66.
beyond the suburbs,
—
longer during rush
which connects with the Capital
Belt-
95
96
97
@(§)
i
Coming
into the City
99
the gate, go to the lower level and claim your baggage at the bag-
From
gage carousels.
Then proceed out of the
terminal on the ground level to
you can meet someone picking you up or find ground transportation out of the airport. The Washington Flyer shuttle to the West Falls Church Metro station leaves about every 30 minutes weekdays the curb, where
($8 one-way, $14 round-trip) and every 30 minutes on weekends;
22-minute bus will take
trip to the
you anywhere
subway
in the
about a 30-minute wait and
it's
a
station. SuperShuttle shared-ride vans
D.C. metropolitan area; there's usually range from $7 to more than $40 to the
fares
$22 for the first person and $10 for each addimore information, exact fares, and reservations for pickup for your return trip to Dulles, call SuperShuttle at (800) BLUE VAN (258-3826) or go to www.supershuttle.com. Cab fare to downtown
downtown
area (typically
tional person). For
D.C. can run more than $50 one-way. Baltimore- Washington International
of Baltimore's Inner Harbor,
is
BWI,
located 10 miles south
about a 50-minute drive from down-
more time during rush hour. From the which are located next the ground-level doors. If someone is picking you up, they can meet
town Washington; allow
lots
gate area, descend to the luggage pickup belts, to
you outside the baggage claim area at the curb. SuperShuttle offers van service to the Washington Convention Center in downtown Washington. Vans leave on the hour from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; the fare is $31 per person one-way (children under age 6 ride
free).
Tickets are sold at
on the lower level in Pier C. No reservations are required for service from the airport to downtown D.C; for reservations for the return trip to BWI or for more information, call (800) BLUE VAN (258-3826) or go to www.supershuttle.com. Cab the ground transportation desk
fares to
BWI
downtown D.C.
start at
offers train service to
commuter
trains
around $55 one-way. In addition,
Washington's Union Station via
MARC
on weekdays (cheap) and Amtrak on weekends and
holidays (expensive).
By Train Union Station
Located near Capitol
Amtrak connecting point
in
Hill,
Union
Station
Washington. From here,
is
trains
the central
go out
all
over the country. For most routes you can choose either a speedy Acela Express, Metroliner or a regular train. train station,
not so
fast!
Once
inside the
newly restored
you can jump on the Metro, located on the lower
The
station itself
is full
of delights
—
level.
But
small shops, cafes, and
even a theater complex. To reach cabs, limousines, buses, and open-air tour trolleys, walk through
main entrance.
Union
Station's
magnificent
Main
Hall to the
100
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Part Four
A Geographic Overview of Washington City and Two States Washington, D.C.,
is
a city of
more than 500,000 people
located near
the southern end of the East Coast megalopolis stretching from Boston to Richmond. George Washington chose the city's site, where the Ana-
Potomac, upriver from
costia River flows into the
his
Mount Vernon
plantation. Maryland and Virginia donated wedges of land from both sides
of the Potomac to make the 100-square-mile diamond called the
District of
Columbia. In
1
846, Virginia snatched
the planned city of Washington
the
river's east
sits
lands back; today,
its
on the former Maryland acreage on
bank.
Washington proper
surrounded by bustling, congested suburbs.
is
Across the Potomac, Arlington County, the town of Alexandria, and Fair-
County crowd D.C. from the south and west, while the Maryland Montgomery and Prince George's surround Washington's northwestern and eastern borders. All the suburbs surrounding D.C. are
fax
counties of
experiencing exponential growth. Rockville, for example, a few miles
north of the D.C.
line,
become Maryland's
has
second-largest
city, after
Baltimore.
Washington's most important geographical feature, the Potomac River, is
a natural
impediment
to
few bridges that cross the
both river
tourists
and suburban commuters. The
from Virginia
to
Washington
are rush-
hour bottlenecks. While driving across the border to the Maryland suburbs
is
nominally
government and
easier,
D.C.'s intense traffic and concentration of
tourist sites near the river
make
for a long trek into
Maryland.
D.C/s Street Plan While Washington's reputation deserved
—
Downtown
fairly logical.
streets
as a
tough
at least for first-time visitors streets are
scheme
across the grid diagonally
of Washington
Our advice:
are streets
and meet
the
city's
around layout
streets
named
named
An 1
is
well
actually
going east-west. after states,
The
which cut
in traffic circles that are the nemesis
drivers.
Ignore the state-named streets on your
map and you'll
cover the underlying logic of the system. If your destination a street
in
is
arranged in a grid, with numbered
running north-south and lettered
loose cannons in the
city to get
—
named
after a state, the
is,
dis-
in fact,
underlying grid of number- and
on
letter-
you there and can even help you locate your block. popular destination for both tourists and power seekers is
streets will get
example:
A
600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW
Since this well-known street snakes a
A
Geographic Overview of Washington
1
1
course from the poor neighborhoods of Southeast Washington through
downtown and into Georgetown, pinpointing an exact address is tough. The clue, however, is in the street address: The White House is near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 16th Street. Note: The two blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue immediately in front of the White House are closed to vehicles.
NAVIGATING THE CITY
. .
|
Confused by Washington's quadrant street addresses
—Northeast, Southeast,
Northwest, Southwest? Relax. Virtually everything that interests tourists
is
in
Northwest. If it
looks
like you'll
be
riding
Metro twice or more a
worry about
pass for $6.50, and you won't have to
day.
figuring
purchase a one-day
out fares
(you'll
save
money, too).
parking If
i
Georgetown or Adams-Morgan on your
Is
is
beyond lousy
—so take
itinerary?
Metro doesn't go there,
a cab instead.They're cheap and plentiful
you ignore our advice and drive to Washington, do yourself a
your route
favor:
in
D.C.
map out
advance, avoid rush hour on weekdays, and arrive early on
in
1
weekends.
Finding Your Way Once you
hang of
get the
snap. You'll have a head
arranged.
it,
you know the
start if
The roughly diamond-shaped
south, east,
way around Washington
finding your
cit)^'s
is
how D.C.
a is
four corners point north,
Washington
west. Inside the diamond,
and
basics of
is
laid
out in a
rectilinear, gridlike plan and divided into four pie-wedge-shaped quad-
rants:
Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southwest (SW), and South-
east (SE); in the center
of the pie
the quadrants and running
North Capitol
Street, East
What happened
to
from the Capitol
to the
in
is
the U.S. Capitol building. Separating
compass directions from the Capitol
West Capitol Potomac
Street?
It's
the Mall, which runs west
River.
Within each quadrant, numbered streets
are
Capitol Street, and South Capitol Street.
run north-south, and lettered
streets
run east-west. Addresses on lettered
streets give a clue to the
num-
bered cross street at the end of the block. For example, the National Building
Museum
4th and 5th Surprise:
one
at
Streets,
401 F
Street,
NW,
is
located
on F
Street
between
NW.
Washington has four
for each quadrant.
As
First Streets, four
a result, addresses
E
Streets,
and
so on,
must bear designations such
as
NW to prevent utter confiasion. The good news for short-term
is
that they can virtually ignore the quadrants: virtually
all
visitors
tourist sights,
102
Part Four
Arriving and Getting Oriented
and
hotels, restaurants,
nightlife are in
Northwest Washington. North-
and Southeast Washington, with the exception of the middle-class enclave of Capitol Hill, are predominantly poor and less commercially east
developed, while tiny Southwest
Avenues are named sin, etc.)
is
mostly middle-class.
after states (Connecticut, Massachusetts,
and cut diagonally
oughfares and do a good job of disrupting the
and
the avenues meet at circles Dupont
Circle
Washington
(New Hampshire and and Rhode
Scott Circle (Massachusetts
Here's a
major thor-
traffic pattern.
Downtown,
Island
rundown of some major
New
are:
Hampshire Avenues)
Pennsylvania Avenues)
MountVernon Square (Massachusetts and
the
Wiscon-
are
most noteworthy of which
squares, the
(Connecticut, Massachusetts, and
Circle
Some
across the street grid.
Avenues, and 16th Street)
New York Avenues)
roads that visitors will encounter in
city:
Pennsylvania Avenue runs into
from Southeast and Capitol
Hill
through
downtown and
Georgetown. The two blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue immediately
the White
House are closed to
in
front of
vehicles.
Georgetown and
leads north to the Maryland suburbs.
Wisconsin Avenue starts
in
Connecticut Avenue runs
from Lafayette Square,
in
front of the White House,
through Dupont Circle, past the National Zoo, and into Chevy Chase, Maryland. 16th Street,
NW, heads due north from
and merges with Georgia Avenue
K
Street,
NW,
Constitution
is
a major east-west
in
the White
House through Adams-Morgan
the Maryland suburbs.
downtown
business artery.
and Independence Avenues run east-west along the
NewYork Avenue
is
a
Washington and turns 14th Street, SW,
is
a
Mall.
major artery that runs from the White House to Northeast into
US 50 and
the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
major point of egress to and from the Virginia suburbs.
Massachusetts Avenue runs from Union Station through
Dupont
Circle,
up Embassy
Row, and past Washington National Cathedral and American University on
its
way
to Maryland.
Things the Natives Already The Metro:An
Know
Introduction
The first section of Washington's clean, modern, safe, and efficient subway system opened in 1976, just in time for the nation's bicentennial celebrations.
As the
five-line
system has expanded over the years, the rave
reviews keep coming. All of the stations follow the beige color scheme, with high, curved ceilings
same brown-and-
made of square
concrete
panels that fade into the distance. Monotonous, maybe, but the stations are safe
and make the
lives
of visitors infinitely
easier.
Know
Things the Natives Already
The
103
and
trains themselves are clean, quiet, carpeted, virtually crime-free,
air-conditioned.
They run
Morgan), the Metro
delivers visitors within a comfortable
of everywhere they might want to go inside the
Even
if,
like a lot
city
Adams-
walking distance
and into the suburbs.
of Americans, you're not comfortable with the idea of
on public transportation, Washington provides
relying
nec-
isn't really
exceptions (trendy Georgetown and hip
With two notable
essary.
so often that carrying a schedule
a strong argu-
car. The ment for seriously reconsidering your love affair excuse not to use There's really no Metro system is easy, even fun, to ride. how. chapter on it. Later, in Part Five, we include a
with your
Taxis Washington's cab
but the
fares are low,
fare
system
is
weird: Fares are
based on zones, not a meter. You can go 2 blocks from one zone to
another and be charged more than for a 12-block ride within one zone.
know
helps to
It
the zones.
Washington has more cabs per capita than any other American
city.
But
other than for schlepping your luggage to and from National Airport or
Union
Station, or dining out in subway-free
Georgetown and Adams-
are superfluous, thanks to the Metro.
Morgan, cabs
Take the
train instead.
In our experience, Washington cabbies are polite and friendly. Yet
good idea driver
beginning of the
to ask for a receipt at the
know
that you're not
Most
sight-seeing attractions
strange hows, whats,
more
a
some inexperienced out-of-towner and you
many
won't tolerate being charged for a roundabout route through zones.
it's
ride, just to let the
and wheres of
and
hotels are in
taxi travel in
D.C.
Zone
1.
(The
are discussed in
detail in Part Five.)
Traffic If at all possible, avoid driving
arrive
by
car,
make
during your stay in Washington. If you
sure your hotel has parking
and
is
either within walk-
ing distance to a Metro station (more on that in Part Five) or offers con-
venient shuttles to one. Park your car and, with few exceptions, don't
plan on moving
it
until
you
Here's why: Driving in
your car near major tourist hopeless. vards,
The
city
is
and one-way
leave.
Washington
a bewildering streets that
is
infuriating,
and trying
and government buildings
sites
mix of traffic
circles,
is
to
park
usually
diagonal boule-
change direction depending on the time
of day. To make matters worse, some avenues change names for no apparent reason.
And
regular traffic
One
the volume of traffic? The Washington column "Dr. Gridlock" for nothing.
last note: You'll see a lot
license plates imprinted with the
a car
is
of cars with cute
Post do^sni call
red, white,
word "Diplomatic." The
associated with a foreign embassy
its
and blue
driver of such
and has diplomatic immunity
1
04
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Part Four
from many
local laws
—including
wide berth. (We cover driving
in
traffic violations.
more
Give these
cars a
detail in Part Five.)
The Neighborhoods Arguably, Washington
the
is
most important
city in the world.
When
most people think of D.C., they conjure up an image of the Mall, anchored by the U.S. Capitol at the east end and the Lincoln Memorial
on the
On
other.
its
end alone, the Mall
east
museums and attractions. In with the White House just to While
there's
much to
see
the center
is
features at least
1 1
major
the Washington
Monument,
who
don't get be-
the north.
and do on the Mall,
visitors
the two-mile strip of green are missing a lot of what this vibrant, in-
yond
ternational
has
city
to
brick sidewalks
offer:
front of
in
colonial-era row houses in Georgetown, the bohemian
Morgan,
townhouses and mansions near Dupont
stately
cafes
charming of Adams-
Circle, the glitter
and overflowing street life in the "new downtown" along K Street, NW. At the very least, a foray off the Mall can elevate your trip beyond the level of an educational grade-school
and
field trip
give
you
a taste of the lively city
itself All the neighborhoods that follow are safe for visitors to explore
on
foot, except
where noted. For more
on zones,
details
see page 7,
"Geographic Zones."
The Southwest Waterfront
A
(in
Zone
fascinating array of private yachts
front area, a stretch along restaurants, fresh fish
I)
on view
Maine Avenue
in Washington's water-
that features marinas, seafood
and the Wharf Seafood Market, where
and Chesapeake Bay
Here's where
Potomac
is
you can take
Spirit.
It's
delicacies
such
visitors
as oysters
a scenic river cruise to
easy to get to the waterfront:
can sample
on the half shell.
Mount Vernon on
Take the subway
the
to the
Waterfront Metro station.
Capitol Hill
(in
Zone
2)
The neighborhood surrounding
the Capitol
is
a
mix of
residential
and
commercial, with plenty of restored townhouses and trendy bars. Called
"The
Hill"
by
natives, here congressional staffers,
and poor people commingle
—sometimes not
urban homesteaders,
so successfully: Street crime
can be a problem. Blocks can change character abruptly from one end to the other, but
if you
Downtown
(in
don't
Zone
wander
far
from the Capitol
itself you'll
be okay.
3)
Directly north of the Mall
is
"old
downtown," an
area undergoing a ren-
Washington Convention Center and the popInternational Spy Museum. It's a neighborhood full of department
aissance symbolized by the ular
stores,
government
office buildings (including the FBI), shops, street
Things the Natives Already
Know
105
vendors, hotels, restaurants, two Smithsonian museums. Ford's Theatre,
Chinatown, and the Washington Convention Center. To the west
a tiny is
"new downtown," the gUttery
glass
and
buildings where
steel office
D.C.'s legions of lobbyists and lawyers do their thing. Both areas offer
of choices for shopping, dining, and sight-seeing.
visitors plent)'
Foggy Bottom
Zone
(in
4)
Located west of the White House, Foggy Bottom got
swampy
land on which
it
was
Today,
built.
it's
home
to
its
name from
ton University, the U.S. Department of State ("Foggy Bottom" nalese for "State"), the
Kennedy Center, and
the
George Washingis
jour-
the Watergate. Closer to the
Mall, massive government office complexes such as the Department of the Interior
and the Federal Reserve crowd the White House.
Georgetown
A
(in
Zone
5)
long before Washington was
river port
built,
epitome of swank. From a distance, Georgetown able by filled
its
skyline of spires.
traffic
An
Metro
congestion
is
is
immediately
now
the
identifi-
The neighborhood of restored townhouses
with crowded bars and shops, and the
into the night.
Georgetown
streets pulse
with crowds
is
late
overflow of suburban teens on weekends makes for
even by Washington standards; lack of a
that's intense,
station only
makes
worse. Georgetown University marks the
it
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and its Georgetown and follow the Potomac River upstream for 184 miles to Cumberland, Maryland. When you've had enough of the city, rent a bike and see how far you can get. neighborhood's western edge.
famous towpath begin
in
Adams-Morgan (in Zone 6) An ethnic neighborhood with a Adams-Morgan
African,
of
after the price
real estate
and 1980s. While
monuments, shops, isn't
is
it
zoomed around Dupont Circle in the 1970s much in the way of large museums or
doesn't offer
the neighborhood
and nightclubs. Parking,
Dupont
Circle (in
Circle
is
Zone
is
full
alas, is a
served by the Metro. Don't
Dupont
heavy emphasis on the Hispanic and
where young and cool bohemians migrated
let
of ethnic restaurants, eclectic severe problem:
Adams-Morgan
that stop you; take a cab.
6)
the center of one of the
city's
most fashionable neighbor-
hoods, where you'll find elegantly restored townhouses, boutiques, restaurants, cafes, bookstores,
and
art galleries.
(along Massachusetts Avenue) leads past cellories, as well as
House, the Center.
some of Washington's
Phillips Collection,
You can
A
stroll
down Embassy Row
sumptuous embassies and chanbest visitor attractions:
Woodrow Wilson House, and
Anderson
the Islamic
recognize an embassy by the national coat-of-arms or
flag;
1
06
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Part Four
a pack of reporters
has erupted
and
somewhere
Rock Creek Park It's
TV cameras may indicate that international unrest in the world.
Zone
(in
7)
not a neighborhood but a managed forest in the heart of Washington
well worth
mountain
away
knowing about. Hikers, joggers, in-line skaters, and anyone wishing an escape from the summer,
here. In the
Upper Northwest Here's
equestrians, city
bikers,
(in
can get
ten degrees cooler than the rest of the
it's
Zone
city.
7)
where the Washington National Cathedral, the National Zoo, the
Hillwood Museum, the
city's
Without
zens are found.
and
best private schools,
clear boundaries to separate
its
wealthiest
citi-
them, Tenleytown,
Glover Park, Woodley Park, and Cleveland Park are
full
of Victorian
houses that are homes to members of Congress, rich lobbyists, and attorneys. Attention, joggers: This
Anacostia
The
(in
city's first
Zone
for a nighttime run.
9)
suburb today
shootings, drug dealing, called
where you go
is
sits
in the
and random
midst of a war zone of drive-by
When
violence.
"Murder Capital of the U.S.," the reference
is
Washington
is
usually to a large
swath of Northeast and Southeast Washington across the Anacostia River
from downtown. While Anacostia
is
well off the beaten tourist path,
Cedar
attractions visitors should take the time to explore:
there are
two
Hill, the
home of
nineteenth-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass,
and the Smithsonian's Anacostia Museum. Either drive or
ride special
tourist buses (not public transportation) to visit these attractions.
Customs and Protocol Dress
In spite of
relaxed
town under the
and the
vestiges
its
status as a
surface.
world
The
of an inferiority complex
mean
aren't
an ostentatious crowd. For men,
of work, while most
women
stick to
suits
power
is
a fairly
laid-back Southern heritage relative to older East
by the way they
cities
that Washingtonians,
Washington
capital,
city's
and
ties
suits
dress
and
Coast
socialize,
remain the uniform
with padded shoulders
in neutral colors for office wear.
Tourists have diplomatic ever. In
immunity from
this
daytime and around the major tourist
look the part: If
it's
hot,
dreary dress code, how-
areas,
it's
wear a T-shirt and bermudas
perfectly as
you
okay
stroll
to
the
Mall with three cameras around your neck. You won't be alone. For forays up Connecticut Avenue and into Georgetown, though, leave the cameras
The crowds
and loud Hawaiian print
are better dressed
you'll really stand
shirts in
and hipper, and
out in the crowd.
if
you
your hotel room. don't follow suit,
— Know
Things the Natives Already Washington, we're glad to report,
which makes
easy
it
on
visitors.
quite informal after 5 p.m.
is
With few
exceptions,
about going out to a restaurant without a
tie,
and
men
needn't worry
women
can
uniform
fortable wearing slacks. If there's a casual, after-work
com-
feel
in this city,
probably the preppie look: chinos, Docksiders, and an Izod shirt for
it's
men and Eating
similar attire for
in
women.
Washington,
Restaurants
inexpensive ethnic restaurants
Greek, Afghani
.
.
.
the
list
a recommendation. Since say,
New
Tipping ton?
Is
the tip
Here
service.
—
made
to feel
are
is
you normally yes. Just
some
Porters, Redcaps,
of
itself as seriously as,
uncomfortable in a Japanese
crowded
eateries, since
dining out
of Washingtonians.
leave at
bear in
needn't feel waitress for
your miso soup. Expect to be elbow
for
in the
ftill-time activity for a lot
The answer
city, is ftill
Most are casual and you menus just ask the waiter or
spoon
elbow with other diners
seems to be a
an international
as
Ethiopian, Thai, Vietnamese, Lebanese,
Washington doesn't take
York, you won't be
restaurant if you request a
—
goes on.
intimidated about unfamiliar
to
107
mind
home
appropriate in Washing-
that a tip
is
a reward for
good
guidelines:
and Bellmen
At
least
$ -$2 per bag and $5 for I
a lot of baggage
Cab
Drivers
1
5%
of the fare. Add an extra dollar
If
the
cabbie does a lot of luggage handling Valet Parking
Waiters
Bartenders
Chambermaids Checkroom Attendants
in
$l-$2 1
1
5-20%
of the pretax
bill
0- 5% of the pretax
bill
1
$l-$2perday $
I
per garment
Restaurants or Theaters
Going Where the Locals Go
During the week,
you'll
from the Mall or the Washington Convention Center
have to get away
if
you want
shoulders with native Washingtonians. But not too far bars
and
restaurants are
crowded with congressional
to rub
—Capitol
Hill
aides, lobbyists, sec-
retarial staff, and even the odd congressperson or two. During the lunch hour on weekdays (but not weekends and holidays), L'Enfant Plaza is
jammed with
bureaucrats from the myriad concrete-enclosed agencies
located south of Independence Avenue.
North of the White House, the "new downtown" (roughly from 15th Street,
NW,
west to Rock Creek Park)
is
an area of glass-enclosed office
buildings where lawyers, lobbyists, and other professionals ply their trades
—and
ington's
take their clients to lunch.
bohemian
international,
Dupont
Circle, formerly
Wash-
quarter, remains headquarters to Washington's artist,
and gay communities.
1
08
How Not like
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Part Four
to
Look Like a Tourist
A Visitor on
If
it's
important to you not to look
Holiday in Our Nation's Capital, we
offer the following
advice:
Never say "Washington"
1.
say the
Be
2. 3.
name of the
full
—
it's
city,
"D.C."
to the natives. If
pronounce
obsessive, if not maniacal,
it
about the Redskins.
and carry
For men, wear a coat and
tie,
women, wear power
with padded shoulders.
suits
you must
"Worshington."
a briefcase at
all
times. For
4.
Tuck a Washington Post under your arm and march up Connecticut Avenue with a determined stride.
5.
Be
blase about Washington's tourist attractions:
to the
Clutch an espresso,
6.
Deny
ever going
Mall except in the company of small children. latte,
or cappuccino in one
baked, multigrain olive loaf in the other:
about fresh bread and coffee
hand and
The
a just-
natives are wild
bars.
Tips for the Disabled Washington abled.
is
one of the most
The White House,
accessible cities in the
world for the
for example, has a special entrance
vania Avenue for visitors arriving in wheelchairs, and
White House
guides usually allow visually handicapped visitors to touch
items described tor,
on
tours.
complete with
Braille
number
museum
All Smithsonian as are all
Each Metro
museum
floors.
station
some of
equipped with an
is
dis-
on Pennsylthe
eleva-
plates.
buildings are accessible to wheelchair visitors,
For a copy of "Smithsonian Access"
call
(202)
357-2700 or (202) 357-1729 (TDD). Folks headed to the National Zoo can get a copy of the Zoo Guide for Disabled Visitors by calling (202)
673-4717 or (202) 673-4823 (TDD). The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and the Washington Monument are equipped to accommodate disabled visitors.
want
Most
to avoid a lot
Needs" on page
The
who
33
in Part Five for
more information.
Local Press
Washington ate
1
sight-seeing attractions have elevators for others
of stair climbing. See our section "People with Special
is
a city of
news junkies, and the Washington Post is the opi-
of choice. Visitors should make a point of picking up Friday's edition,
which includes the tion
on things
to
paper's
do
in
"Weekend"
section.
and around Washington;
of a Friday Post on your way into town for
The Washington conservative slant
It's
loaded with informa-
if
you can, grab
a
Times, D.C.'s other daily newspaper, offers a
on
national
and world
copy
the weekend.
events.
more
Things the Natives Already City Paper, a free weekly "alternative" newspaper,
source of information on reviews.
It's
is
Know
09
another good
popular music, and movie
arts, theater, clubs,
from street-corner vending machines and
available
1
stores
all
over town. Washingtonian, a monthly magazine,
The
restaurants, etc.)
and feature
and provides
strong on
lists
(top 10
articles.
Where/Washington things to
is
of events, dining information,
a calendar
is
one of
list
popular
on Washington
theater,
several free publications that
do around town.
Visitors looking for the latest information nightlife, restaurants, special exhibitions,
and
gallery
shows
in
advance of
their trip should call or write:
Where/Washington Magazine, 1225 19th
D.C. 20036-2411. Phone
ington,
L
Washingtonian, 1828
The
Street,
NW,
Suite 510,
Wash-
(202) AG?>A'b^^.
Street,
NW,
D.C.
Suite 200, Washington,
20036. Phone (202) 331-0715.
Telephones The Washington
area
served by three area codes: (202) inside the Dis-
is
(703) in the Northern Virginia suburbs across the Potomac River,
trict,
and (301), which connects you with the Maryland suburbs. To dial out of D.C. to suburbs beyond the city's limits, it's necessary to dial the right area code. While calls to Arlington, Alexandria, and most of Fairfax
County
in Virginia
Maryland calls
and
to
Montgomery and
(50 cents from most pay phones).
Rooms
Rest
Field researchers for the Unofficial
writing ability
skills,
fice,
Prince George's Counties in
are dialed as if they're long distance, they are charged as local
.
.
Guide are selected for
and small bladders.
.
you can be sure we're not
their reporting
When we enter a marble edi-
just scrutinizing the layout, the flow
crowd, and the aesthetics: We're also nervously eyeing the
of the
real estate for
we can unload that second cup of coffee. rest room department? Actually, of the huge number of museums, monuments,
the nearest public facility where
So
how
does Washington rate in the
pretty well. That's because
federal office buildings, restaurants, bars,
that cover the
city.
Leading any
and Space in the
men
it
seem
at the
rooms
rest
rest
department
are clean
room
the Mall. For
comes
many women's
don't
rest
of great
Museum on
world when
times as
works
list
Most
stores,
and conveniently
women who
as there are
to notice," says a female
information desk.
hotels
located.
locations should be the National Air
claim there's no justice
to toilet parity, consider this:
rooms
and
men's
rest
There
are three
rooms. "And the
Smithsonian employee
who
1
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Part Four
1
Other
of note on the Mall include those
facilities
Gallery of Art, the Arthur
M.
at the
National
Sackler Gallery, the Hirshhorn
Museum
and Sculpture Garden, and the National
rooms
rest
in the National
on
niently located facilities are
in
The
Museum
of African Art.
The
of Natural History are inconve-
At the Arts and Industries Building,
a lower level.
located far
rooms
the rest
Museum
away from the front entrance.
On the other hand,
Castle, the Smithsonian's visitor center, are easy to
find and usually not very crowded. Virtually
the
all
monuments
room-equipped, including the
are rest
Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and the Washington Monument.
Downtown,
and bars
hotels, restaurants,
are
good
bets.
Avenue
are
Monument and
tion are the
the Mall.)
new
rooms
Dupont
at
You won't
(An excep-
Circle; they're usually dirty.
World War II Memorial on Metro stations, although a few
rooms
find rest
in
complexes that do provide
rest
rooms, including
Metro Center, Farragut North, and L'Enfant
Station,
rest
on the grounds of the Washing-
restrooms at the National
stations are located in
Union
rest
both convenient and elegant.) Avoid the few public
rooms located in parks, such as the ones ton
(The
on Connecticut
off the huge lobby of the Stouffer Mayflower Hotel
Plaza.
How to Avoid Crime and Keep Safe in Public Places
Crime
in
Washington
The combination of a widespread
crack epidemic and the availability of
high-powered weaponry put Washington on the
"Murder Capital of the United
tinction:
States."
map
for a
dubious
dis-
Anyone who watches
the
evening news or reads a newspaper knows about Washington's grim murder
rate.
safe
So the question
arises, as
Washington anyway?
is
"It's
Am
the force
who
as
long
as
you
a trip to D.C.: Just
going to end up just another
how
statistic?
D.C.'s Metropolitan Police
stay in proscribed areas. Ryan, a veteran of
has worked special anticrime details around the Mall and
popular tourist
sites,
"Washington
explains,
very strongly, because tourism
To
you contemplate
Rod Ryan of
very safe," says Officer
Department,
I
get an idea of
is all
how much
visitor gets, consider this fact:
D.C.'s finest patrolling the
its
main
visitor areas
protection the average tourist or business It's
city.
patrols
the city has for income."
not just Officer Ryan and the
rest
of
Contributing to the task are a number of
other law enforcement agencies whose jobs include protecting visitors:
The
U.S. Park Police patrols the monuments, the U.S. Capitol Police
protects the Capitol
and the 20-square-block area around
Secret Service patrols the area
around the White House.
it,
and the
Plus, the
Metro
1
"
How to Avoid Crime has
own
its
and Keep Safe
in
Public Places
1
1
police force for protecting people riding public transporta-
not
tion. That's
Post-Sept. 11, a
all:
new network of security cameras
has
been added on the Mall by the Park Police and the Metropolitan Police has installed a network of security cameras in high-traffic areas such as
Georgetown, Union Station and around the White House. "Police are patrolling on bicycles, on horseback, on small motorcycles, on foot,
has
and
its
unmarked
in
own
police force
cars," explains Officer
—
Ryan. "And the Smithsonian
the buildings and around the grounds.
ing for can spot five police patrols from anywhere Statistics support his claim: D.C.'s overall
ing steadily for the
From
—
who patrol inside what he's lookwho knows Anyone
highly trained federal officers
on the Mall."
crime rate has been declin-
decade, according to the Metropolitan Police.
last
a high of 454 homicides in 1994, the rate
number of murders
Halfway through 2004, the
dropped is
to
down 27
242
pared to the previous year, which recorded 248 murders.
crime rate
doing even
is
So, who's
on the
better,
percent over the
young drug
events in
D.C,
about the same
as
anywhere
else.
in sections of the city visitors
dential areas that are tricts.
The worst
to
go to quite an
city center
effort to get there,
aries
mayhem
wander
who
and
even by mistake.
He leads a mountain bike 75% in one of the worst sec-
should know:
by
Georgetown, upper Northwest, Dupont
street,
is
it
safer
a legislative aide
was
powerful congressmen
live
not to be well patrolled."
November 1997,
Starting in
many
Circle,
any other area that out-of-
as safe for visitors as
towners frequent. Ryan explains, "Too
Washington
across
across the bridge over the Anacostia
Adams-Morgan, and downtown. Even Capitol Hill, which gained notoriety when
in Capitol Hill for
resi-
business/tourist dis-
Washington. "Visitors should stay within the bound-
of the Mall,
murdered on the
are
usually occurs
the major visitor areas. You'd have
patrol that has helped reduce street crime tions of Southeast
are rare
and Southeast Washington,
downtown and
River," says Officer Ryan,
Most
do not normally frequent: low-income,
areas are in Northeast
"Tourists should never
Random murders
Furthermore, the
removed from the
the Anacostia River from
fire?
and police say the odds here
reputation,
its
overall
9 years.
dealers in shootouts with competitors
or people involved in violent domestic disputes. despite
The
last
end of all that automatic weapons
receiving
of the victims are either
down 35
2000.
in
percent com-
and
cleaner:
visitors
began seeing
Downtown SAM
a
new
(Safety
nance) Teams, easily recognized by their bright red
attire.
force
making
and Mainte-
By cleaning
and sidewalks, removing graffiti, and assisting visitors, SAM Teams are creating a safer environment downtown. According to the D.C. Metropolitan Police, in April 1998 downtown Washington saw a streets
54%
drop
in
crime compared to April 1997, while more than 10,000
1
1
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Part Four
2
more than 25,000 workers and
bags of garbage were collected and
were aided. Visitors are encouraged to stop a
tors
and ask
for directions, get a restaurant
visi-
SAM Team member
recommendation, or get directions
for finding a landmark.
Having a Plan Random
violence and street crime are facts of life in any large
got to be cautious and alert and plan ahead.
When
you
You've
city.
are out
and
work under the assumption that you must use caution because you are on your own; if you run into trouble, it's unlikely that police or anyone else will be able to come to your rescue. You must give about, you must
some advance thought an escape plan just in
might occur, and con-
to the ugly scenarios that
both preventive measures that
sider
will
Not being
case.
keep you out of harm's way and
a victim of street crime
survival-of-the-fittest thing. Just as a lion stalks the
the antelope herd, muggers put,
no matter where you
felons to think of you as a
On
For
the Street
get if
you
alert,
be
and
are or
bad
are doing,
sort
of a
Simply
you want potential
risk.
are with other people. Second, if
alert,
is
member of
thieves target the easiest victim.
what you
you always present
starters,
weakest
and always have
at least
less
of an appealing
you must be out
tar-
alone, act
one of your arms and hands
free.
Felons gravitate toward preoccupied folks, the kind found plodding
along staring at the sidewalk, with both arms encumbered by briefcases or packages. Visible jewelry (on either
kind of attention. Men, keep your pocket.
Women,
Here's another tip: sive one, carried in
accosted.
Your
real
one
Men
This
money
approach.
is
the one
you hand over
second wallet hidden elsewhere on
A
Police will
his
tell
you
that a felon has the least
intended victim during the few
good
strategy, therefore,
is
as quickly as possible. If a felon starts
in
opposite direction.
you're
belt.
for instance, quickly take out it
if
and the bulk of whatever cash you have
clip or a
money
If You're Approached
one) and hurl
if
strap.
can carry a fake wallet in their purse and keep the
amount of control over
money,
wrong
can carry two wallets, including one inexpen-
real credit cards
Women
crime scenario
attracts the
your front trouser or coat
on over your shoulder bag
it
credit cards.
in a pocket or
his initial
women)
your hip pocket, containing about $20 in cash and
should be in either a
your person.
or
keep your purses tucked tightly under your arm;
you're wearing a coat, put
some expired
men
billfolds in
your
by demanding your
billfold (preferably
one direction while you run shouting
The odds
are greatly in
moments of
to short-circuit the
your fake
for help in the
your favor that the felon
prefer to collect your silent billfold rather than pursue you. If
will
you hand
3
How to Avoid Crime
and Keep Safe
Public Places
in
1
1
over your wallet and just stand there, the felon will likely ask for your
watch and jewelry
next. If you're a
woman,
you hang around,
the longer
the greater your vulnerability to personal injury or rape.
Secondary Crime Scenes
Under no circumstance,
police warn, should
you ever allow yourself to be taken to another location
—
a "secondary
crime scene" in police jargon. This move, they explain, provides the felon
more privacy and consequently more control. A felon can rob you on the street very quickly and efficiently. If he tries to remove you to another location,
whether by car or on
more
mind than
in
foot,
robbery. Even
it is
a certain indication that he has
gun or
the felon has a
if
knife,
your
chances are infinitely better running away. If the felon grabs your purse, let
him have
If he grabs
it.
your money or coat
your
coat,
come out of the
Another maxim: Never believe anything a felon telling
you something you desperately want
won't hurt you
if
coat.
Hanging onto
not worth getting mugged, raped, or murdered.
is
you come with me."
No
tells
you, even
how
matter
logical or
he sounds, assume the worst. Always, always, break off contact as possible,
even
if
that
In Public Transport the driver as
you
near the driver's
benign quickly
as
means running.
When
riding a bus, always take a seat as close to
can; never ride in the back. Likewise,
on
the subway,
sit
or attendant's compartment. These people have a phone
summon
and can
if he's
to believe, for example, "I
help in the event of trouble.
While it is possible to hail a cab on the street in Washingsomewhat vulnerable in the process. Particularly afi:er dusk, call a reliable cab company and stay inside while they dispatch a cab to your door. When your cab arrives, check the driver's certificate, which In Cabs
you
ton,
are
must, by law, be posted on the dashboard. Address the cabbie by his last name (Mr. Jones or whatever) or mention the number of his cab. This alerts the driver to the fact that
his cab.
Not only will
this
you
cabbie from trying to run up the If you are
via
your
fare
it
will also
keep your
fare.
comfortable reading maps, familiarize yourself with the most
your destination ahead of time.
direct route to
town
remember him and/or
are going to
contribute to your safety,
Wisconsin Avenue,
If
please," the driver
you can
is
say,
"George-
less likely to
by taking a circuitous route so he can charge you
run up
for three zones
instead of two. If
you need
to catch a cab at the train station or at
one of the
airports,
always use the taxi queue. Taxis in the official queue are properly licensed
and
regulated.
Never accept an
in the terminal or
charged for the
offer for a cab or
baggage claim. At
ride.
best,
At worst, you may
you
limo made by a stranger
will
be significantly over-
be abducted.
1
1
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Part Four
4
Personal Attitude While some
more dangerous than
areas of every city are
assume that any area
is
completely
can be the victim of a crime, and
safe.
Never
others, never
down your
let
guard.
You
can happen to you anywhere. If you
it
go to a restaurant or nightspot, use valet parking or park in a well-lighted
Women
lot.
leaving a restaurant or club alone should never be reluctant
to ask to be escorted to their car.
Never
your pride or sense of righteousness and indignation imperil
let
This
your
survival.
men
in the presence of women.
is
especially difficult for
many men,
makes no
It
approached by an aggressive drunk, an unbalanced actual felon, the rule as
is
quickly as possible.
the same: Forget your pride
Who
cares
some
if
in
and your jaw sewn
street people,
shut,
too late to
all
and even some drunks play and
They can
beyond the imagination of most people. Believe
attack with a bloodthirsty hostility
do you want
it's
that important.
that
their league (nor
an
and break off contact
keeps. is
are
When you wake up
decide that the drunk's filthy remark wasn't really Felons, druggies,
you
street person, or
whether the drunk insulted you,
everyone ends up back at the hotel safe and sound? the hospital with a concussion
particularly for
difference whether
hellish
us,
you
for
abandon
are not in
to be).
Self-defense In a situation where
it is
impossible to run, you'll need to be prepared to
defend yourself Most policemen use to the average person.
More
gun or knife
insist that a
often than not, they
is
the
say,
not
much
weapon
will
be turned against the victim. Additionally, concealed firearms and knives
most
are illegal in
age person
is
jurisdictions.
Mace. Not only
The
is it
best self-defense device for the aver-
legal in
most
states, it
is
nonlethal and
easy to use.
When you about eight
shop for Mace, look for two things:
feet,
and
it
It
should be able to
should have a protector cap so
mistake in your purse or pocket. Carefully read the directions that
with your device, paying particular attention to
and
stored,
Wearing
and how long the
how
come
should be carried
it
remain potent.
active ingredients will
a rubber glove, test-fire your
fire
won't go off by
it
Mace, making sure that you
fire
downwind.
When you
are out
ily accessible, say,
about town, make sure your Mace
is
attached to your keychain. If you are a
someplace
eas-
woman and you
keep your Mace on a keychain, avoid the habit of dropping your keys (and the Mace) into the bowels of your purse
room
or your
around until
in
car.
The Mace
your purse for
you have
it.
will
when you
not do you any good
if
leave
Keep your keys and your Mace
safely reached
your destination.
your hotel
you have in
to dig
your hand
5
How to Avoid Crime
and Keep Safe
Public Places
in
I
1
Carjackings With
the recent surge in carjackings, drivers also need to take special pre-
cautions.
"Keep
when
alert
D.C.
you're driving in
Officer
traffic,"
Ryan
warns. "Keep your doors locked, with the windows rolled up and the air conditioning or heat on. In traffic, leave enough space in front of you so
and can make
that you're not blocked in
and
approaches your car
That way,
a U-turn.
if
someone
beating on your windshield, you can drive
starts
off." Store
your purse or briefcase under your knees when you are driv-
ing, rather
than on the seat beside you.
and Scams
Ripoffs
First-time visitors to the Mail stepping off the escalator at the Smithson-
ian
Metro
are often confronted
museum ian museums
brochures. Don't
—and
Refer
who
them
by
for
fast-talking
visitors
need
watch out
to
down and and move on.
cop for help
More Things to Avoid When you do go out, walk with a minimum sible. If
you have
And
people around. tourist
when
don't
walk down
careful
ers are a
about
good
make
around you
is
the well-dressed fare.
of two people whenever pos-
alleys. It also
of
helps not to look like a
at buildings
and unfold maps on the sidewalk.
whom you ask for directions. (When
bet.)
Don't count your
cash as possible. At public phones,
ber to
you off
for
venturing away from the Mall. Don't wear a camera around
your neck, and don't gawk
Be
them
in well-lit areas that have plenty
walk alone, stay
to
try to sell
they need $5 for train
claim their car broke to a
men who
the brochures are free in Smithson-
it;
the fast-talkers are trying to rip
Another scam that couple
fall
a long-distance to hear.
call,
money
if you
in doubt,
in public,
must say your
don't say
it
shopkeep-
and carry
as little
calling card
num-
loud enough for strangers
And, with the exception of the Mall, avoid public Rock Creek Park at night.
parks after dark. In particular, don't go to
Help May Be CloserThan You Think While walking ities. If,
in
Washington,
office building for help.
who
try to be
despite your precautions,
The
you
aware of public and federal
are attacked,
entrances are
all
head
for
patrolled by
any
facil-
federal
armed guards
can offer assistance.
While
this litany
of warnings and precautions
may sound
grim,
it's
really commonsense advice that applies to visitors in any large American city. Keep in mind that Washington's reputation for crime is enhanced by
the worldwide media attention the city gets: Local news in Washington really national
news. Finally, remember that 2 1 million visitors a year
flock to the nation's capital,
making
it
one of the most
is
still
visited destinations
1
1
Arriving and Getting Oriented
Part Four
6
in the
United
States.
The overwhelming
with crime during their Washington
majority encounter no problems
visit.
The Homeless If you're
a shock city
is
not from a big city or haven't visited one in a while, you're in for
when you come
filled
Washington.
to
seems that every block in the
It
with shabbily dressed people asking for money. Furthermore,
downtown
along the Mall, near the national monuments, on
and
and gardens, you
in parks
will see
sleeping bags, their possessions piled
Georgetown
streets filled
sidewalks,
people sleeping in blankets and
up next
On
to them.
crowded
women
with opulent shops, homeless
with
small children beg for money. Drivers in cars are approached at stop-
by men carrying Magic-Marker-on-cardboard signs reading
lights
"Homeless
—Will Work
for Food." Virtually every
Metro
exit
is
choked
with clusters of people begging for money.
Who
"Most
Are These People?
D.C.
are lifelong
residents
who
are
poor," according to Joan Alker, assistant director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, an advocacy group headquartered in Washington.
"The people you see on the streets are primarily single men and women. A disproportionate number of them are minorities and people with
disabilities
have physical
—
they're either mentally
ill,
or substance abusers, or
disabilities."
Are They a Threat to Visitors?
"No," Ms. Alker
Washington show that homeless men have lower
says. "Studies
rates
done
in
of conviction for
We know that murders aren't make a blanket statement, but no more likely to commit a violent
violent crimes than the population at large.
being committed by the homeless.
most homeless people you
see are
I
can't
crime than other people."
Should You Give the Homeless Money?
Ms. Alker
"But
says.
tence by looking
no way
to
tell if
if
them
you
"That's a personal decision,"
can't, at least try to
in the eye
and
acknowledge
saying, 'No,
can't."
I
the guy with the Styrofoam cup asking for a
really destitute or just a
con
artist,
no one can dispute
that
their exis-
While
there's
handout
is
most of these
people are what they claim to be: homeless.
Ways to Help being both their
It's
really a
moved and
matter for your
own conscience. We confess
annoyed by these unfortunate people:
to
moved by
need and annoyed that we cannot enjoy the nation's capital without
running a gauntlet of begging
found that of quarters
change
it is
easier
at the
at all times.
men and women.
on the conscience and
In the final analysis,
spirit to get a
bank and carry an overcoat or
The
we
couple of rolls
jacket pocket full of
cost of giving those homeless
who
approach you a
How to Avoid Crime
and Keep Safe
quarter really does not add up to
all
that
is
a notion, perhaps valid in
Public Places
much, and
the psyche to respond to their plight than to
There
in
some
it is
much
deny or ignore
instances, that
17
I
better for
their presence.
money given
to
a homeless person generally goes toward the purchase of alcohol or drugs. If this bothers
you
some inexpensive
excessively, carry granola bars for distribution or
gift
coupons that can be redeemed
at a
buy
McDonald's or
other fast-food restaurant for coffee or a sandwich.
We have found that a litde kindness regarding the homeless goes a long way, and that a few kind words delivered along with your quarter or gra-
We
nola bar brighten the day for both you and your friend in need.
are
not suggesting a lengthy conversation or prolonged involvement, just
something simple
like,
"Sure,
I
can help a
little bit.
Take
care."
Those moved to get more involved in the nationwide problem of to the National Coalition or a check homelessness can send inquiries
—
for the
Homeless, 1012 l4th
—
Street,
NW,
Suite 600, Washington,
D.C.
20005-3471; (202) 737-6444; www.nationalhomeless.org.
Keep
It
Brief
Finally, don't play psychologist. All the
counter on the street are strangers. They
may be
people you en-
harmless, or they
may be
dangerous. Either way, maintain distance and keep any contact or en-
counter brief Be prepared to handle street people in accordance with just be prepared. If you have a druggie in
your principles, but mostly,
your face wanting a handout, the
last
thing you want to do
is
pull out
your wallet and thumb through the twenties looking for a one-dollar As the sergeant on Hill Street Blues used to say, be careful out there.
bill.
Part Five
Getting around
Washington
Driving Your Car: Traffic
A Really Bad Idea
Hot Spots
some bad news for anyone considering driving to our nation's capital: Washington is legendary for its traffic congestion. Let's start with the Capital Beltway (1-495 and 1-95), which encircles the city through the Virginia and Maryland suburbs: It's guaranteed to be logjammed on Here's
weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and again from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Unremitting suburban growth and geography confound the best efforts of traffic engineers to alleviate the congestion. Inside the Beltway, the situation only gets worse.
The few
bridges that
connect Washington and Virginia across the Potomac River are rushhour botdenecks. Interstates 66 and 395 in Virginia have restricted carpool lanes inbound in the morning and outbound in the evening. Inside the District, Rock Creek Parkway becomes one-way during rush hour,
and major thoroughfares such as Connecticut Avenue switch the direction of center lanes to match the predominant flow of traffic at different
Downtown,
times of day.
the
city's
traffic
circles
can trap unwary
motorists and reduce drivers to tears or profanity. Pierre L'Enfant's
eighteenth-century grand plan of streets and avenues that intersect in traffic circles
is
a
nightmare for twenty-first-century motorists.
First-time drivers to
Washington should map out
their routes
in
advance, avoid arriving and departing during rush hour, and then leave
Lunch-hour
the car parked throughout their stay. ferocious,
and don't think
Washington's popularity crawl
that
weekends
as a tourist
on Saturdays and Sundays
news about driving sides, getting
in
in
Washington,
around town by car
is
are
mecca
warm
it's
this:
traffic
can be equally
immune from
traffic snarls:
slows Beltway traffic to a
weather. If there's any
good
After evening rush hour sub-
pretty easy.
119
Bronze pylons
(left) identify
stations; colored stripes at
show the
line
or
lines
Metro
top
served by
that station.
Metro system and neighborhood maps (below) are located in the mezzanine of each
station, as are
automated Farecard vending machines (bottom).
L *-
-
Riding the Metro: A Really
Good
Idea
121
Parking you ignore our advice about driving in Washington (we repeat: don't) battle your way downtown by car, you'll find yourself stuck in one of those good news/bad news scenarios. The good news: There are plenty of If
and
The bad
places to park.
arm and
garages that charge an
minimum. Think you can and
try,
is
a leg. Figure
lot
of quarters
the spaces are in parking
on $12
a
day or $5 an hour,
Go
museum
a
—
ahead
Most
and plenty of patience.
two hours
restricted to
on exploring
intent
all
beat the system by finding street parking?
but bring a
metered parking
news: Virtually
—
not a long time
if
you're
And
or attending a business meeting.
D.C. cops are quick to issue tickets for expired meters. Also, a lot of legal spaces turn illegal during afternoon rush hour.
In popular residential neighborhoods such as
Morgan,
Georgetown and Adams-
parking gets even worse at night. Unless you've got a residential
parking permit
—not
likely if you're
from out of town
limited to from two to three hours, depending
on
—
street
parking
the neighborhood.
is
The
parking permits are prominently displayed in the cars of area residents.
tempted
If you're
efficient at
whisking away
are hefty. If your car at
(202) 727-1010;
5000.
to park illegally, be
towed,
is
spaces
is
call
the
D.C. Department of Public Works
you're not sure if
if
Incredibly, there's free
weekdays; the limit
warned: D.C. police are grimly
parked in rush-hour zones, and the fines
cars
it
was towed,
call
(202) 727-
parking along the Mall beginning at 10 a.m.
three hours. Needless to say, competition for the
is fierce.
Riding the Metro:
A Really Good Idea
A Clean, Safe Alternative It
should be clear by
now that visitors who would prefer to spend their time
doing something productive rather than or around Washington.
and
forget
them
the parking
—
lots.
just
Thanks
sit
in traffic
jams shouldn't drive in
to the Metro, visitors can park their cars
remember you need
Five color-coded
subway
a
Metro
lines
farecard
and cash
to exit
connect downtown Wash-
ington to the outer reaches of the city and beyond to the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.
It's
a clean, safe,
money, and shoe leather
as
it
and
efficient
system that saves
ington should use the Metro as their primary
The seats,
trains are well
and
air
visitors time,
whisks them around town. Visitors to Wash-
mode of transportation.
maintained and quiet, with carpeting, cushioned
conditioning.
The
stations are
modern, well
lighted,
and
are uniformly constructed with high, arching
usually spotless,
and they
ceilings paneled
with sound-absorbing, lozenge-shaped concrete panels.
1
22
Getting around Washington
Part Five
The wide-open look of
and
the stations has been criticized as sterile
monotonous, but the design may explain why the Metro has maintained a crime-free reputation: There's
system
tion, the entire
each car
is
no place
bad guys
for
monitored by closed-circuit
to hide. In addi-
TV
cameras, and
equipped with passenger-to-operator intercoms,
is
platforms and elevators.
The Metro (nobody
And
cars
and
Metrorail,
calls it
as are rail
stations are nearly graffiti free.
name) transports more
its real
than half a million passengers a day along 103 miles of track and through
83
one
stations. Currently,
and three new
line extension
under construction (with two of them opening class
in late 2004).
stations are
a world-
It's
engineering marvel.
Trains operate so frequently that carrying a schedule
is
unnecessary. Dur-
ing peak hours (weekdays 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.), trains enter the stations every three to six minutes.
During
the interval increases to an average of 12 minutes;
it
on weekends. To maintain the
intervals
ofiF-peak hours,
can go to 20 minutes
throughout the
year, the
Metro
adds and deletes trains to compensate for holidays and peak tourist season.
Hours
of operation
a.m.
5:30
are
to
midnight
Monday
throughThursday, and 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
How to
Ride the Metro
Finding the Stations
Many (but,
unfortunately, not
all)
and number of blocks
direction
entrances are identified by
street signs in
Washington indicate the
Metro station. Station brown columns or pylons with an "M" on all to the nearest
four sides and a combination of colored stripes in red, yellow, orange, green, or blue that indicate the line or lines serving that station. Since
most
stations are
underground, users usually descend on escalators to the
mezzanine or ticketing part of the stations outside of
on the ground
station.
At above-ground and elevated
downtown Washington,
level.
At the kiosk located
with quick directions on
how
the mezzanine there, pick
up
is
most often
map
a system
to use the Metro.
Purchasing a Farecard Next comes the your
up
fare
tricky part:
You must determine your
ahead of time because the ticketing system
to the backlit, color-coded
map
destination
list
Then look on
and find
the
bottom
of stations reveals both the
(peak and off-peak) and the estimated travel time to each. Peak usually
more
from 3 p.m. station to
to
7 p.m. weekdays. Unless you're traveling from to another,
fare
fares,
expensive, are in effect from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
downtown, or from one suburb
and
automated. Walk
located in each mezzanine
the station nearest your ultimate destination.
of the map, where an alphabetized
is
and
a suburban
one-way
fare
is
Lnd older
neeo& " '"
UE
Rush hour and non-rush hour fares are
listed alphabetically at
each
station's kiosk (top).
Automated faregates, which control access in and out of spacious Metro stations, are located near the kiosk.The woman pictured here
124
is
exiting the station, (below)
Riding the Metro: A Really
A
typically $1.35 (non-rush hour).
Good
Idea
1
25
Before you walk away
final note:
from the map, make a mental note of the last station of the train that you plan to board, even though you're probably not traveling that far. The
name of your
destination
train's final
key to locating the right platform
—
name of
the
is
the one
whose
the train, thus the
trains are
going in the
photographs starting on page 120.)
right direction. (See
Farecard Vending Machines Those big vending machines
lining the walls of the mezzanine don't dis-
money and
pense sodas. Instead, they swallow your
magnetic tions.
you
stripes that get
Once you
and
in
get your card,
—
this
hang onto
with
issue farecards
crucial
is
—
out of Metro
sta-
it.
like this: Walk up to the farecard vending numeral "1" on the left: side at eye level. (We'll where you insert bills and/or coins. If your desti-
Buying a farecard works
machine and look Step
call this
nation
This
1.)
say, a
is,
for the
the
for the
amount
and you're making a round-trip, insert $2.70 slides in, look at the middle of the
fare,
As the money
into the machine.
machine
is
$1.35
numeral "2" (Step
where
2),
a digital readout registers
you've shoved into the contraption.
Machines that accept paper money invariably screw up, and these machines are no exception. They oftien spit back bills they don't like, so try
smoothing wrinkled
unfrayed greenbacks over
them and choose new,
before inserting
bills
bills
that are worn. Inserting coins
foolproof, but not very practical if you're riding the
Our
advice
is
to cut
possible
by plugging
buying a
ticket that
stiles
it's
on the
time to buy a
farecard
new one.
the possibility of losing the farecard while
value your time at
all,
take the
risk.
you wish
A
it's still
let
The computerized
afi:er
digital
you
bill,
lets
a
few bucks.
is
If you
readout at Step 2 are
adjust the readout to the
to purchase. For example, if
$2.70 and you inserted a $5
turn-
each use, which
worth
as
you're
major drawback, of course,
Below the
white "plus" and "minus" buttons that exact fare
at
nearly
much
once, which means
days or longer.
last several
print the remaining value
you know when
$20
in $5, $10, or even
is
lot.
using these infernal machines as
down on
can
Metro
a
your round-trip
fare
is
from $5 down to $2.70 you overshoot, push the
toggle the readout
by repeatedly pushing the "minus" button.
(If
"plus" button to increase the value.) Then look to the right side of the machine and the numeral "3" (Step 3), and press the button diat reads
"Press for Farecard." If all goes well (and, in
pops your farecard and your change
—
all
fairness,
it
usually does), out
in this case, $2.30 in change; the
(We toid you. to buy a $6.50 farecard.) downtown, the fewer farecard machines from The which usually isn't a problem at these mezzanines the walls of the line for less busy stations. For balky machines that won't take your money, or machines don't dispense farther out
you
bills.
get
—
126
Getting around Washington
Part Five
any problem
at
help
all,
is
only a few steps away
each station near the faregate. Inside
is
kiosk located at
at the
a breathing
human
who will
being
help. Don't be shy.
One
warning: If the farecard machine accepts $20
last
maximum amount
mind
that the
$4.95
—which means
keep in
bills,
of change the machine can
you're stuck buying a farecard with a
out
spit
is
minimum
value of $15.05.
Talking Fare
Metro at
has
Machines
installed
46 mezzanines
An
Passes/Farecards across the top.
you through the
voice guide
express
talking
farecard
machines
vending
name
in the system's busiest stations; look for the
optional audio button
steps to purchase farecards,
lets
you hear
much of the conRision and is a real boon to visually impaired riders. The machines let you buy up to $200 worth of farecards with denomination of $45. You can
also purchase the
ends and holidays
(a
very good deal that
take advantage of). Currently,
all
VISA, Discover, and MasterCard. Note: Most
pass,
day on week-
we recommend most
you can charge your
a top
$6.50 one-day
weekdays and
valid for unlimited rides after 9:30 a.m.
a
which removes
visitors
farecard purchases to
users will
want
to press
button two, for a single farecard, to begin the card purchase process.
Entering the Station
With your
farecard firmly in hand,
you
are
now
authorized to enter the
Hold the card in your right hand with the brown magnetic stripe facing up and on the right. Walk up to one of the waist-high faregates with the green light and white arrow near the kiosk (not the faregates that read "Do Not Enter" they are for passengers exiting the Metro
station.
—
station)
and
insert
your card into the
slot,
where
it is
slurped into the
bowels of the Metro. As the gate opens, walk through and grab your card as
it is
regurgitated from the slot at the top of the gate. All this happens
in less than a second. Place the farecard in a safe place; if you lose
must pay the maximum
fare
when you
it,
you
exit.
Finding the Train Platform
Once
you're past the faregate, look for signs with arrows
your intended your train
line's
will arrive.
end
At an underground
station,
escalator or stairs to the train platform; at an will
and the name of
station that point toward the platform
you
will
where
descend on an
above-ground
station,
you
ascend to the platform. You can reconfirm that you're on the correct
side of the platform
by reading the
list
of stations printed on the pylon
located there and finding your destination. If your destination you're
on the
right track; departing trains
go
in
in the red-tiled area to wait for the next train.
one direction
is
listed,
only.
Stand
When
entering or exiting, insert the farecard (face up with the mag-
netic strip
The
on the
right) into
the slot on the front of the faregate (top).
farecard reappears at the top of the faregate (bottom);
and the faregate opens.
On
remove
it
faregates for disabled people, the farecard
reappears at the front of the gate.
Note: Remember to hang on to the
farecard
—you need
it
to exit the
system. 127
128
Part Five
Getting around Washington
Boarding the Train As
embedded
a train approaches a station, lights
As the
granite edge of the platform begin flashing.
in the floor along the train
comes out of the
tunnel, look for a sign over the front windshield that states the train's des-
and
tination
line (blue, red, green, orange, or yellow).
but not the color,
make If
is
shown on
also
sure the approaching train
it's
is
The
destination,
the side of the train. Double-check to the one
you want.
the right train, approach the doors, but stand clear to
ing passengers exit the train.
Then move
let
depart-
smartly; the train stops for only
a few seconds, then chimes will indicate that the doors are about to close.
rushing to catch a train and hear the chimes, don't attempt to
If you're
pop open
board. Unlike elevator doors, the train doors won't
on them
—and they
exert a lot of pressure.
Wait
Inside, take a seat or, if you're a first- time
map
The
located near the doors.
Metro
user,
have
trains all
if you lean
for the next train.
study the system
real operators
who
PA
system and give information for
transferring to other lines (sometimes
you can even hear them over the
announce the next din).
It's
station over a
better to study the
ernous station walls
at
map and
read the signs
mounted on
the cav-
each stop.
Exiting the Station
As the
train enters
your
station,
them.
Some
stations have
the doors. When you step on the platform and walk toward
move toward
off the train, look for stairs or escalators
two or more
exits,
but the signs on the walls of
the stations aren't always clear about where each exit goes. If
which tourists
you know
you want
(for
example, at the Smithsonian station most
want the Mall
exit,
not Independence Avenue), look for that sign
exit
and follow the arrow. At the top of the
escalator or stairs,
get your farecard ready,
the
Metro system (card
right, insert in slot). If
walk toward the mezzanine
and repeat the same procedure you used in right hand, magnetic stripe
you bought exact
fare,
area,
to enter
up and on the
you won't get your card
back, but the gate will open and a little sign will flash "Exact Fare." You're on your way. If your farecard still has money left on it, it pops up as the gate opens and the sign flashes "Take Farecard." Do same; exit station. If
your farecard doesn't have enough value to cover your
won't open and the card will pop back out. "Exitfare" are lined
machine somewhere
up behind you when
just
this
You need
trip,
to take
the gate it
to
an
behind you. (Invariably ten people
happens, creating the equivalent of a
minor Beltway backup.) The reddish-colored
Exitfare
their brothers, the farecard machines. Insert
your card and immediately
the digital readout displays the exact
can exit the station. (Don't make
my
machines look
like
amount of moolah it needs so you The machine asked for 40
mistake:
Riding the Metro: A Really
and
cents
stuck a $5
I
bill
into
it. I
coins; the farecard reappears; grab
swallows
it
and
sets
you
Good
Idea
129
got $4.60 in change back.) Plug in the insert
it;
same
into the faregate,
which
free.
Changing from One Line to Another Sooner or
Metro
later
—probably sooner—you
line to another.
where the
stations,
Metro Center
red, orange,
and
(red, yellow,
need to transfer from one
will
the Big Enchilada of the transfer
and blue
lines
converge in
downtown
tourists are likely to hit are Gallery
Washington. Other transfer stations
Place-Chinatown
is
L' Enfant
green);
Plaza (yellow, blue,
orange, green); Rosslyn (orange and blue); and Pentagon (yellow and blue).
To
you
transfer,
don't use your farecard. Simply exit your train, take
the escalator to the correct platform,
and reboard. Try
system as your train enters the station:
The
to listen to the
where the
driver recites
PA dif-
ferent lines are located in the approaching station (for example, "Transfer to the red line tions,
on the lower
level"). If
you
can't
hear the driver's instruc-
look for the color-coded pylons with arrows that point toward the
platforms, and look for the one with your destination listed
The
Gallery Place-Chinatown station
quently, you're routed
down and up
is
escalators to reach
Keep your eyes up for signs overhead that as "Red Line-Wheaton Straight Ahead."
Metro Foibles and
on
it.
especially complicated. Fre-
your platform. messages such
state reassuring
How to Cope
Boarding the WrongTrain Unless you're concerned about being ten minutes or so
meeting with the president, boarding a tion
isn't
form
is
a big problem.
train
late for
Simply get off at the next
station,
and
if
the plat-
located between the tracks, go to the other side of the platform to
wait for the next train running in the opposite direction, and board
both or
your
going in the wrong direc-
sets
of tracks run
and
stairs
down
it.
If
the center of the station, take the escalator
cross the tracks to the other side,
where you can catch the
next train going the other way. If
you
train to
realize you've
boarded the wrong
color train (say, the
orange
Dorn
Street),
Vienna, Virginia, instead of the blue train to Van
just get off at the next station, stay
on the same platform, and take the
next blue line train.
What
to
Do
with Farecards Worth SO Cents
After a few days in Washington, you that don't have
enough value
may
for even a
start
one-way
accumulating farecards trip.
Don't throw them
away! Instead, next time you're using the Metro go up to a farecard vending machine in the mezzanine
and
insert the old farecard into the slot
on
When it
in
the value of a farecard drops below $
for a
new one
at a farecard
machine
I
,
trade
(top).
Emergency intercoms (bottom) are located on
all
station platforms.
ortation.
a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Christmas
Day
Web site http://anacostiasi.edu When to Go Anytime. But either call first or pick up a Mall to find out
exhibits:
(202) 287-3382.
Free
Hours
whats on view before making the
Comments
Special
I
Follow
(left lanes).
five blocks. Erie
museum is on the right. Because this part trians, we don't recommend taking public Admission
cali
take Independence Avenue east past the Capitol to Second
interseaed by Pennsylvania Avenue. Bear right onto Pennsylvania
Avenue and go to Nth low
in
This "neighborhood"
between shows, there
OveraJI Appeal by change throughout the
it's
museum
features
often very litde to see. so
is
Age Group year,
brochure
trip.
Since the
museum
not really possible to rate
temporary, special
call first.
features spedal exhibitions that
this
Smithsonian
facility's
appeal by
age group.
Author's Rating Again, temporary
How MuchTime
to Allow
Description and
Comments
Anacostia
Museum
I
exhibitions
make
a rating impossible.
hour Located on the high ground of old Fort Stanton, the
features changing exhibits on black culture and history and the
achievements of African Americans. Unfortunately for out-of-town
visitors,
it's
in
a
location that's difficult to reach.
Touring Tips either
call
the
To save yourself the frustration of
museum
first
or pick up a
Other Things to Do Nearby drive, but tia
is
you should
call in
a high-crime area.
advise visitors to
visit
It's
arriving
flyer at the CastJe
between major shows,
on the
Mall.
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
is
a
short
advance to make reservations for the house tour Anacos-
okay to drive through during
on foot or
daylight,
but
it's
not an area
we
at nighL
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Type of Attraction Cedar
Hill,
the preserved Victorian
home
of abolitionist, states-
man, and orator Frederick Douglass (Guided tour by reservation only)
Location 1411
How
to
W StreeL
GetThere
SE. in
Anacostia
Drive: Anacostia
is
unsafe for pedestrians day or nighL
From
the
Zone
9:
Southeast
Mali take Indepefvdence Avenoe east past the U-S. Caprto: to Seconc Street. It is
I
245
SL where
intersected by Pennsy+vania Avef>i>e. Bear aght cxito Pen nsy+vanta Avenue and go to
cum
StreeL Sf, and
Ith
Luther King
Jr.
Avenoe to
righL Cross the
W
Street.
SETjrr
parking lot on the nght.
"e
?-^-r
^"or^e'- cr:c'-
:.
—
e-
Ith Street
I
!eft
s
Rndge and go south on Haron
and go four Wocks to the
^t.'— cc
e
^/^ :-
Admission SI
Hours
C:":e
9
nanksgpnng
Phone
:::
:-
-It-:--.
.•..•.-.•.
SpeciaJ
ortheWSwh.duh5and$9
;•-
1-
:-„~,2.s
-5
:;."-.
Tours
D2/S.
reservacc
-ziiz- -
--•-..-=
-c-
/.
Comments 3c
"-s.^
i-'c -ese-.-a-
-c: tixe t'e '^evc :c -^'ac;
-SoJe;
byAge Group
Overall A.ppea.1
I
Author's Rating
--'c
—
i-...e
"
How Much Time
to Allow
Des.cription a.nd
Comments
in th
e.com, or stop at
- -I r
:e- :e'sc-
E.e-. :i.
Web site When to Go
center
c~ers a three-hour : :
5
visrtor
Seniors
•••^
***li
s
phjtL" rights
Touring Tips
-C»
i.
=_
Other Things to Do Nearby
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens Type
of Attraction
Location Arboret:-'-
90C
A.-
=
- -i-_c' :cs--.i
I'
z"
--€ \i'o-;al
246
Washington's Attractions
Part Seven
How to GetThere New York Avenue.
Drive.
Go
south on Kenilworth Avenue from
Avenue and follow
Exit at Eastern
its
intersection with
signs to the parking lot off
Ana-
costia Avenue.
Admission
Hours
Free 7
Daily,
a.m.^
New Year's
p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
Days.
Phone (202)426-6905
Web site www.nps.gov/kepa When to Go June and July to see tropical plants and lotus.
Year-round
it's
water
the third Saturday
plants;
and
July
August
in July a water-lily festival is held.
a great place for bird -watching.
Comments
Special
hardy
see
to
On
The gardens are
located
in
a dangerous neighborhood. Don't
take public transportation.
Overall Appeal by Age Preschool
Grade school
Group
•
Teens
|
**
Young
|
Author's Rating Unique.
•• ***
adults
I
Comments
hyacinth, lotus, and
bamboo, the gardens teem with
Come
It's
In
addition to pools
••• ***
an amazing place to
filled
with water
lilies,
water
wildlife
such as opossum, raccoon,
on
summer morning.
visit
a clear
the morning, before the heat closes up the flowers. Don't
in
take public transportation; the surrounding neighborhood
Other Things to Do Nearby by
Seniors
hour
Description and
Touring Tips
Over 30
|
***
How Much Time to Allov/
waterfowl, and muskrats.
|
unsafe. Drive or
is
The National Arboretum
is
go by cab.
only a few minutes away
car.
Washington Navy Yard Type of Attraction Three tours by reservation only;
Location 9th and
M
military
museums and
a U.S.
Navy destroyer
(Self-guided
(202) 433-6897)
call
Streets, SE,
on the waterfront
Nearest Metro Station Eastern Market. Because this is an unsafe neighborhood any time of day, we recommend that visitors either drive (parking is available inside the gate) or take a cab.
Admission
Free; reservations required for nonmilitary personnel
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed weekends and
Hours
Phone Navy Museum,
(202) 433-4882; Marine
3534 (closed Tuesdays); Navy Art (open
until 5 p.m. in
the
Corps
Historical
Gallery, (202) 433-3815;
summer and
until
4 p.m.
in
federal holidays.
all
USS
Museum, (202) 433-
Barry, (202)
the winter; closed
433-3377
Monday and
Tuesday)
Web site wv/w.ndw.navy.mil/NavyYard/History When to Go Anytime. But unless you have military
ID,
advance reservations are
required.
Special
Comments A
Overall Appeal by Age Preschool
nice contrast to the look-but-don't-touch Mall
museums.
Group
•
Grade school ***'/2
|
|
Teens
Young
••• **
adults
|
|
•• ***
Over 30 Seniors
Zone
How Much Time
to Allow 2 hours
Description and
Comments
ships,
undersea vehicles
Exhibits
Alvin
and
that kids (and wiry adults) can climb
the Navy
in
Trieste,
in,
is
a prerequisite for
side trip that
information
many
visit
Museum
decommissioned
hands-on, featuring
less
is
Corps mementos. The Navy Art Gallery artists.
A
is
first-time visitors
make. But kids
will
love
it.
museums
it's
not a
For current exhibition
www.history.navy.mil and click on "The Navy Museum."
—jumping
Navy Yard
off at the Metro's
station
too bad
It's
are so far off the beaten path, because there's a lot here to see and do.
OtherThings to Do Nearby
Zone
the mili-
in
and walking ten scary blocks to the Navy Yard entrance; drive or take a cab. these
museum
a small
strong interest
making the trek to the Washington Navy Yard, and
Don't make our mistake
TouringTips
include 14-foot-long
and, tied up at the dock, a
with paintings of naval actions painted by combat tary
Museum
working sub periscopes, a space capsule
destroyer to tour. The Marine Corps Historical exhibit cases and Marine
247
fun for kids; informative for adults. **'/2
Author's Rating Hands-on
model
Maryland Suburbs
10:
Nothing recommended.
Maryland Suburbs
10:
NASAIGoddard Space
Flight Visitor
Center (Zone lOD)
Type of Attraction NASA's 1,100-acre, campuslike facility in suburban including a small museum and other buildings (Self-guided and guided tours)
Maryland,
Location Greenbelt, Maryland
How to GetThere
Drive.
From downtown Washington, drive out
which becomes the Baltimore-Washington Parkway
(1-295). Take the
New York Avenue,
MD
193 East exit,
Beltway Drive about two miles past the Goddard Space
just past the Capital
Center's main entrance to Soil Conservation Road and turn
left.
Flight
Follow signs to the
visitor center.
Admission
Hours
Free
Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday,
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and
1
2-4
p.m..
Closed Mondays,
New Year's Day
Phone (301)286-9041
Web site www.gsfc.nasa.gov When to Go Anytime Overall Appeal by Age
Group
•
Preschool
Teens
|
***
Grade school
Young
|
••• ***
adults
Author's Rating Informative but not convenient
How Much Time to Allow Description and
1
Comments
for
|
Over 30
|
Seniors
most
visitors.
think of
it
**V'2
hour for the tours; 2 hours for the Sunday bus tours
The
small
museum
inside the visitor center
as a mini-National Air
is
loaded
and
real
and Space Museum. Outside, some
real
with space hardware, including a space capsule kids can play satellites;
••• ***
in,
space
suits,
rockets used to put the hardware into outer space are on display. While most folks get their
fill
Greenbelt
and then some of spacecraft at the
facility
TouringTips
is
museum on
the Mall, a
visit
will
to NASA's
the icing on the cake for hard-core space cadets.
The
small
gift
shop
offers interesting
NASA-related items such
as post-
248
Washington's Attractions
Part Seven
cards,
35mm
color
at 10 a.m., noon,
slides, posters,
and 2 p.m.
On
and publications. One-hour tours are given weekdays
the
first
and third Saturdays of the month, model rocket
launches are held on center grounds. Call the curator for details, (301) 286-9041.
Other Things to Do Nearby
Drive through the adjacent Agricultural Research
where the U.S. Department of Agriculture studies farm it's a rural oasis in the heart of animals and plants. The roads are narrow and quiet Maryland's suburban sprawl. The National Wildlife Visitor Center off nearby Powder Center, a collection of farms
—
Mill
Road features nature
displays
Museum
National Cryptologic Type of Attraction A
small
and hiking paths.
museum
(north of Zone lOD)
offering a glimpse into the secret
world of spies,
national defense, and ciphers (Self-guided tour)
Location The National Security Agency, on the grounds of Fort George G. Meade, about 30 minutes north of Washington and east of Laurel, Maryland (Route 32 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway)
Admission
Free
Hours Weekdays,
9 a.m.-4 p.m. and the
first
and third Saturdays of each month, 10
a.m.-2 p.m. Closed federal holidays and Sundays.
Phone (301)688-5849
Web site www.nsa.gov/museum/index.cfm When to Go Anytime Comments A
Special
Washington
very small
museum
that will only appeal to a
narrow
slice
of
visitors.
Overall Appeal by Age
Group
Preschool —
Teens •V2
|
*
Grade school
Young
|
Over 30
|
adults irVi
Seniors
\
irVi
**
Author's Rating Gee, a real World War German Enigma ciphering machine.Yet this tiny museum's greatest appeal may be its very existence:The National Security Agency (NSA) is the nation's largest spy organization and its most secretive. * II
—
How Much Time to Allow Description and headquarters
in
I
Comments
hour Tourists are barred from Central Intelligence
Langley, across the river
from Washington
in
Agency
suburban Virginia. Yet
not lost for visitors lusting for a peek into the world of cloaks and daggers.The hush-hush National Security Agency operates ciphers, and spies All Civil
in
a
the displays are
looks
(it
like
static;
II,
they include items such as rare books dating from paraphernalia, and the notorious Enigma, a
House, the
U.S. ambassador's residence in
uncovered
in
952.)
The new
high-tech
computer hackers. Outside, you get from Route
32.
NSA
1
526,
cipher
II.
in
a small theater
in
the museum.)
Don't miss the "bugged" Great Seal of the U.S. that hung
Touring Tips
1
German
Underwood on steroids) whose code was "broken" by World War (Spies, a film on code breaking during World
the story continuously on a TV
tells
dedicated to codes,
an ancient
the Poles and British during
War
museum
former motel overlooking the Baltimore- Washington Parkway.
War signal flags, KGB spy
machine
this tiny
all is
ultra-
is
called
Moscow. (The microphone-equipped
room
in
Spaso
seal
was
features spy devices used to guard against
a glimpse of the huge
"The Puzzle Palace" for
its
NSA
headquarters complex
secretiveness and worldwide
electronic eavesdropping capability.The agency's budget, by the way,
is
a secret.
Zone Other Things to Do Nearby Road
249
South on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway ar^ the
NASA/Goddard Space
National Wildlife Visitor Center and the Mill
Maryland Suburbs
10:
Flight
Center (Powder
exit).
National Wildlife Visitor Center (Zone lOD) Type of Attraction A museum 1
featuring wildlife research exhibits located
in
a
3,000-acre national wildlife refuge about 30 minutes north of Washington (Self-guided
tour)
Location Off Powder
Mill
Road, 2 miles east of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway,
south of Laurel, Maryland
Admission
Hours
Free
Daily, 10
a.m.-5:30 p.m. Closed Christmas Day.
Phone (301)497-5760
Web site http://patuxent.fws.gov/vcdefeult.html When to Go Anytime. Weekends are busier than weekdays. Special large
Comments
You'll
need a car to get here.
groups of schoolchildren on
field trips.
And
Call
there's
ahead
if
you'd rather avoid
no restaurant or snack bar on
the premises.
Overall Appeal by Age
Group
•••• Grade school **** Preschool
Author's Rating
Teens
|
Young
|
Static exhibits
Department of the ing
Interior
is
This
Mall, children are fascinated
weary from
^focus-
topics. While the static displays
won't
traipsing through Smithsonian edifices
wildlife habitats,
pond and
wildlife
natural wildlife habitat.
by taking a
wolves, whooping cranes, and
wildlife research.
"viewing pod" equipped with spotting scopes and binoculars
youngsters (and adults) observe
wildlife
by the U.S.
—dioramas, mostly—
other endangered species demonstrate the value of
A
the heart
by this place. Large dioramas on pollution, overpop-
and ocean degradation,
Touring Tips
museum operated
large, airy
with attractive exhibits
filled
accelerate the pulse rates of adults
ulation, forest
in
**V^
on a wide range of wildlife and environmental
on the
icirVi
Seniors icicVi
\
1-2 hours
Comments
Description and
Over 30
|
and stuffed animals, but a tranquil setting
of the hectic Washington-Baltimore corridor
How Much Time to Allow
•••
adults irirVi
stroll
on paved
lets
through a picture window overlooking acres of
it's
a nice day, enjoy the sights and sounds of real
trails
through woods and around ponds populated by
If
geese, ducks, and other animals that find refuge on the refuge. Thirty-minute narrated
tram rides with daily
a wildlife interpreter are offered
and $1 for children.
movie
On weekends
documentary
is
in
the spring and
fall
and
$3 for adults and $2 for seniors
wildlife films are
shown
in
the center's
theater.
Other Things to Do Nearby belt,
on weekends
from the end of June through August.The cost
Maryland,
is
The NASA/Goddard Space
only a few miles away; follow signs posted on
Flight
Center
Powder
Mill
in
Green-
Road near
the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Folks looking for additional wildlife
outdoor enjoyment and the opportunity to see more
can drive a few miles north to the North Tract of the Patuxent Research
Refuge; take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway north
two
exits to
Route 198
east.
250 drive
Washington's Attractions
Part Seven
one
mile,
and turn right onto Bald Eagle Drive to the Visitor Contact Station. The
8,100-acre tract features forest, wetlands, a wildlife viewing area (with an observation
tower), and eight miles of paved roads for car touring and bicycling. There are another ten miles of graded gravel roads for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. For
more information, call (410) 674-3304. The National Cryptologic Museum
is
located next to the huge National Security
Agency complex near the intersection of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Route 32; drive north on the parkway a few miles and follow the signs. For a large selection of fast-food options, take the parkway north a few miles to Route 97. 1
Zone
1 1
Virginia Suburbs
:
Mount Vernon
and Gardens (south of Zone
Estate
IC)
I
eighteenth-century Virginia plantation on
Type of Attraction George Washington's the Potomac River (Self-guided tour) 16 miles south of Washington
Location
Get There To
Hovy^ to ginia,
bear
right,
drive
from Washington, cross the 14th Street Bridge into Vir-
and get on the George Washington Memorial Parkway south. Continue
past National Airport into Alexandria,
Continue
straight; Washington Street
where the parkway becomes Washington Street. ])ecomes the Mount Vernon Memorial Parkway,
which ends at Mount Vernon.
s,^
Tourmobile offers four-hour, narrated bu^fours to Mount Vernon
October Departures are
at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., a'^d
daily.April
through
2 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and
$12 for children ages 3 to I. The price include!, admission to MountVernon. Call Tourmobile at (202) 554-5100 for more information. «Gray Line offers four-hour coach trips to MountVernon and Old Town Alexandria that cfepart daily at 8:30 a.m. from Union StaI
No tours are
tion.
$28 for 1
adults and
995 or
scheduled on NewYear's,Thaj^ksgiving,and Christmas Days. Fares are
$14
for children. For mor§4nformation,
call
Gray Line
at (202) 289-
wvwv.grayline.com.
visit
Admission
Estate and-G^rdgffsr$
adults,
II
$10.50 seniors 62+, $5 children ages
6-11, free ages 5 and under Gristmill: adults and seniors, $2 additional to Estate and
Gardens
tickets
or $4 purchased alone; children (6-1
I),
$1.50 additional or $2 pur-
chased alone; free ages 5 and under
Hours
All are
open every day of the
Christmas Day. Estate and Gar-
year, including
dens: April-August, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; November-February, 9 ber,
a.m.^
p.m.;
March, Septem-
and October, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Gristmill: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Phone
(703) 780-2000
www.mountvernon.org Web When to Go Generally before site
1
a.m., especially in
hot weather But sometimes tour
and school buses arrive before the gates open, creating a the mansion.
When
around
longer hours are
Special
opens
Come
3 p.m.
in effect,
making
it
a
to buy tickets and tour
—and the
lines.
you must clear the grounds by 5:30 p.m.
Connments MountVernon
at 8 a.m.,
line
and you're sure to avoid the buses
is
probably the only major
prime place to
hit early in
DC.
attraction that
—
you have a car
hot weather
if
to get you there. During Christmas, the decorated mansion's seldom-seen third floor
open to the
public.
Overall Appeal by Age Preschool
Grade school
Group
•• ****
|
|
Teens
Young
•••
adults
****l/2
|
Over 30
|
Seniors
••••• *****
is
Zone
:Virginia
I
Suburbs
25
^****
Author's Rating Nofllo be missed.
How Much Time
I
to Allow 2 hours
Description and Comirients
Folks «^n a quick trip to Washington won't have time
Mount Vernon, but everypne,jefse should. The stunning view from the mansion across the Potomac River is pretty much the same as it was in Washington's day. Unlike most historic sites in D.C.. MountVernon gives visitors a real sense of how eighteenthto
visit
century rural
life
worked, from the
first
president's foot-operated fan chair (for keeping
he read) to the rustic kitchen and outbuildings. Historic interpreters
at bay while
flies
are stationed throughout the estate and mansion to answer questions and give visitors
an overview of the property and Washington's
MountVernon
more
is
den tours leave
at
Mount Vernon"
is
I
a
I
a.m..
I
and
p.m.,
3 p.m., April
through October "Slave
April through October. There's
daily.
no addi-
charge for either tour
tional
Mount Vernon
has
opened
several
new
attractions
on the 30-acre plantation to
help diffuse huge crowds that throng the mansion. The newest
farm
Life at
30-minute walking tour to slave quarters and workplaces that
noon. 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.
starts at 10 a.m.,
life.
than just a big house. Special 30-minute landscape and gar-
site
where
visitors can
is
a four-acre colonial
view costumed interpreters using eighteenth-century farm
methods and tools. Hands-on activities are available March through November, and wagon rides are offered on Fridays. Saturdays, and Sundays. During the summer months, a "Hands-On History" area lets children handle eighteenth-century objects, play games such as rolling hoops, and learn about early
American
The
life;
hours are 10 a.m. to
Web
estate's
site,
I
Day through Labor Day.
p.m. daily from Memorial
www.mountvernon.org.
offers a historical
primer for your
visit.
Monday
Half-hour narrated cruises on the Potomac are offered May through August,
through Sunday; $8 adults and $4 children.
MountVernon
TouringTIps
summer months
spring and
is
very popular,
—sometimes
and tourists
tourist season. Monday. Friday, and Sunday mornings before
periods.
If
you want to avoid
big
crowds, go around
grounds by 5:30 p.m. When crowds are small guided tours of the mansion
in
office,
the
in
I
3 p.m..
I
a.m. are the least busy
but you must leave the
the winter, visitors are frequently given
MountVernon
offers a snack bar.
two
shops, a
gift
museum on entrance. Visit Old Town
and a sit-down restaurant. Rest rooms can be found near the
the grounds or between the
gift
shop and snack bar near the
Alexandria on your way to or from Mount Vernon. To stop at Gadsby's Tavern priate,
in
groups of 20 to 30 people.
Other Things to Do Nearby post
up by the busload
pull
before the grounds open. During the high
because
that's
what George Washington used to
Old Town Alexandria (Zone Type of Attraction A
I
is
appro-
do.
IC)
restored colonial port
town on the Potomac
River, featuring
eighteenth-century buildings on cobblestone streets, trendy shops, bars and restaurants, parks,
Location
and
In
a
huge art center (Guided and self-guided tours)
suburban Vifgima. 8 mile\ south of Washington
Nearest Metro Station King
Admission Some
histoVk:
Street
\
houses charafe $4 for admission. Admission to the Torpedo
Factory Art Center, the Lyc'&mn.andtjje George Washington Masonic National rial is I
free. Tickets that get
you
into three historic sites for
Memo-
$9 ($6 for children ages
1-17) are sold at Ramsay House, the main visitor center on King Street.
Hours
Historic houses, shops, and the
and remain open through the afternoon.
Torpedo Factory Art Center open by
10 a.m.
252
Washington's Attractions
Part Seven
Phone
For more information on Old Town, call the Alexandria Convention and Visitors
Association at (800) 388-9
1
1
9 or (703) 838-4200. Press 4 for a recording of special
events that's updated regularly.
When to Go
Anytime
Comments
Special
scenic spot for a brown-bag lunch are the picnic
The most
on the Potomac River
tables located at the foot of First Street,
Group
Overall Appeal by Age Preschool
Grade school
•• ***
Author's Rating
A
Teens
|
satisfying contrast to
How Much Time to^Allow
•••
Young aduks
|
Half a day.
|
*.T(!r**i/2
Robert
E.
Comments
the second
half,
rival
sray for dinner;
Old Town
./
Alexandria claims both George Washington and
Lee as native sons, so history buffs have a
period revival houses that
****i/2
Seniors
awesome D.C. W^**
If it's
Alexandria has a great^election of restaurants.
Description and
Over 30 ••••1/2
|
those
lot
to see. Topping the
list
Georgetown, another old port up the
in
are
river;
Gadsby's Tavern (open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April through Sep-
tember, and
p.m. to 5 p.m.
I
on Sunday; guided tours
at quarter of
and quarter past the
hour); Christ Church; and the Lee-Fendall House. This hip, revitalized city
Potomac
is
crammed with
(art, jewelry, children's
on the
exotic restaurants (Thai, Indian, Lebanese, Greek) and shops
books, antiques, Persian carpets). And, unlike those
town, the eating and drinking establishments
in
Old Town
George-
in
aren't overrun by suburban
teenagers on weekends.
Touring Tips
As you
for a quick trip right
Metro
exit the King Street
onto King Street for a pleasant 15-minute
itor center
is
at the
station, either
board a
King Street to Old Town (85 cents), or walk to your
down
stroll
Lyceum, where two exhibition
DASH
left
toward the riverThe closest
galleries
and a
museum
bus
and turn vis-
of the area's
history are featured; from King Street, turn right onto Washington Street and walk a
block.There's also a small niture,
and
House,
built in
Civil
War
museum
featuring prints, documents, photographs,
memorabilia. Farther
1724 and
now Alexandria's
down
official visitor
to 5 p.m., exceptThanksgiving, Christmas, and
good
starting point for a walking tour of
Center tors,
dios housed
in
artists
up a pass that But parking
it
If
open
daily
Days. Ramsay
Ramsay
from 9 a.m.
House makes
1
a
50 painters, printmakers, sculpartists at
work
in
their stu-
you drive to Alexandria, park your car
a nickel or a dime, and
you park free for 24 hours
city limits is
more than
the former munitions factory.
lets
New Year's
and craftspeople. Visitors can watch
a two-hour metered space, feed
Alexandria
center,
silver, fur-
left is
Old Town Alexandria.The Torpedo Factory Art
King Street features
at the foot of
and other
King Street on the
in
go to a
visitor
in
center to pick
any two-hour metered zone inside
(renewable once); you'll need your vehicle's license plate number
scarce and the King Street Metro
OtherThings to Do Nearby
About
a mile
is
conveniently located.
west of the center of Alexandria
is
the
George Washington National Masonic Memorial. A free tour features a view from the 333-foot tower, Washington memorabilia, a 370-year-old Persian rug valued at $1 million, and more information about Masonry than you probably want.The tours are given Monday through Saturday on the half-hour in the mornings and on the hour in the afternoons; the Memorial is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mount Vernon, George Washington's plantation
on the Potomac,
is
eight miles
downriver
Part Eight
Dining and Restaurants
Experiencing Washington Cuisine
The New Washington Cookery In the
last
1
5 years,
and even more rapidly over the past
Wash-
5 years,
ington has evolved from an extremely predictable restaurant town, one in
which dining out was more a matter of convenience and expense account than pleasure, to one of the country's top ten culinary centers
where
it's
The
really fun to be a restaurant
of heavy French and
sorts
—
a city
critic.
Italian
and "continental" dishes that a
generation of Washingtonians was inured to have been replaced by market-fresh, innovative, and even nutritionally informed recipes, many
of them combining elements of the older together as
of what
is,
classic cuisines (often
lumped
and a strong influence in the development "modern for lack of a better term, described as "modern American"). eclectic"
Far beyond those cuisines are the scores of Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian,
Chinese (of
regions),
all
just first-generation critically
styles
and Ethiopian establishments
mom-and-pop immigrant
acclaimed restaurants.
means
And
better quality as well:
Thai food, has
—
in the area, not
but professional,
eateries
the greater quantity of choices in
The most
recent
like the successive explosions in
boom,
all
the one in
other ethnic fare
—edu-
cated diners to the delicacy as well as the potency of that cuisine, and
chased
The show
many
of the quickie, unauthentic kitchens out of business.
boom
ethnic-fare
them, are developing consider ican,
is
almost certain to continue: National surveys
that younger consumers, "Generations
them
much
as
and Chinese
to stick to. diversity,
And
which
tastes for a variety
a part of the
X and Y,"
as
marketers
of ethnic flavors early in
American buffet
— meaning Cantonese,
primarily
life,
as the Italian,
—
call
and
Mex-
older diners tend
continued immigration naturally means greater cultural is
why there are
increasing
numbers of African and Russ-
ian restaurants in this country.
253
252
Washington's Attractions
Part Seven
Phone
For more information on Old Town, call the Alexandria Convention and Visitors
Association at (800) 388-9
1
1
9 or (703) 838-4200. Press 4 for a recording of special
events that's updated regularly.
When
Go Anytime Comments The
to
Special
most scenic spot for a brown-bag lunch are the on the Potomac River
picnic
tables located at the foot of First Street,
Overall Appeal by Age Preschool
Grade school
Group
•• ***
Teens
|
•••
|
Young aduks^*.^**i/2
|
Over 30 ••••^/i
****!/2
Seniors
|
"
"-^-^
Author's Rating
A
satisfying contrast to
How Much Time t^^%^^^>^ ^:.^:^<J:h^;„ v'>
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT A LA SPIELBERG— PART HIGH-TECH, PART RETRO-REGRESSIVE
:'
and Nightspots
Profiles of Clubs
Who Goes There gic for Vegas;
377
Late-20s couples bored with disco; traveling salesmen nostal-
some computer geeks and groups
of mixed-sex hangers looking for
post-movie action
White
Flint Mall,
Bethesda; (30
Maryland suburbs, Zone
230-5 151; www.daveandbusters.com
) 1
OB
I
Cover $5 weekends after 10 p.m. Minimum None Mixed drinks $5-$7 Wine $3.50-$5.75 Beer $2.75-$5.25 Dress Upper shopping mall-quality: casual, but no tanks, cutoffs, etc.
A full
available
Specials Half-price
rail
Food
drinks and beer specials at happy hour
range of familiar upscale suburban
from artichoke
fare:
dip and stuffed
jalapenos to pastas, grilled salmon, Sante Fe chicken pizza, and ribs and rib-eyes
Hours Sunday-Wednesday, a.m.; Sunday,
What
I
goes on This
tables, pinball
is
There are
a.m.-l
11:30
Flint
a carnival of the business animals: a half-dozen pocket billiard shuffle-
pods, interlinked for games and sports simula-
full-size virtual-reality
also casino games, with fully trained blackjack dealers and tables
the poker chips are "on loan" only.
by token
a.m.-midnight; Thursday-Saturday,
Metro White
and video games, a couple of simulated "19th hole" golf games,
board, and four tion.
11:30
1:30 a.m.-midnight.
in fact,
except the
No
actual gambling
virtual-reality pods.
On
is
allowed. Everything
Fridays and Saturdays,
is
it's
—but
played
murder
mystery dinner theater
Setting and atmosphere This
is
unabashedly a bar as well as a playroom, with two
"midway"
sideline bars: the double-sided, 40-foot bar that partners the
interactive video
to mention the private
"showroom" with
audio-visual equipment, which If
you go
got
it
This
is
Dave &
down smooth.
fairly strict rules
(a stretch
of
and carny attractions); and the elevated, square "Viewpoint" bar (not
is
own
its
status
CEO
about drinking and dressing, and even
limited (even cigarettes only
where
party
room
of D.C.).
complex around the country, and they've
Buster's ninth such
Besides offering nearly every sort of game,
year-olds being with an adult. Even better
and even
stage, bar, dining tables,
bound to become the
in this
it
has polished service,
stricter rules
about under-21-
cigar-crazed era, smoking
is
extremely
allowed).
DREAM FOUR-STORY,
MANHATTAN -STYLE SUPER-LOUNGE
Who Goes There
Friends,
Seinfelds looking for love 1
350 Okie
Cover
Street,
Sex
in all
in
the City sophisticates,
NE; (202) 636-9030
$10; sometimes free with promotion
Northeast,
I
I
p.m., give
and even
or take an hour)
Food
Zone 8
Mixed drinks $5-$8 Wine $5-$7 Beer
$3-$5 Dress Trendy; they hosted an Armani (before
Damon Wayans
the lounge places
fashion
show Specials Free cover
available Entrees
like
early
crabcakes and jerk
chicken from Republic Gardens chef Lois Spencer
Hours Thursday 9
What
p.m.-3 a.m.; Friday and Saturday 9
goes on Thursdays
is
p.m.^
usually international night,
a.m.
and the crowd
and elegant. Weekends are a mix of soul/R&B, hip-hop, and even a yuppie (Fridays) and buppie (Saturdays)
level rises
and
falls.
little
is
very mixed
trance, as the
378
Entertainment and Nightlife
PartTen
Setting and atmosphere This and a luxury
ambiance
lighting.
wall bars and a
land:
a post-millennial Studio 54
somewhere between
is
paneling, leather lounge chairs, plush carpeting and
magohany
Besides the four dance
halls,
room, neary wall-to-
there's a billiard
deck for cooling down.The fourth floor
is
even available for private par-
mere $5,000.
ties for a
If you go
Seriously dress to impress here; even P-Diddy
door
at this
on
liner
No
wear This
athletic
is
would have to shed the jeans
a "revitalizing" neighborhood, but there
parking or shuttle service from nearby secured
is
valet
lots.
DUBLINER CLASSIC IRISH PUB
Who Goes There
Hill
workers, both upwardly mobile
(senators and lobbyists)
520 North Capitol
(staffers)
and established
______„
NW; (202)
Street,
737-3773
Capitol
Hill,
Zone 2
Cover None Minimum None Mixed drinks $3.25-$6; Dubliner coffee is an coffee with Bailey's added. Wine $4-$5.50 Beer $3-$4 Dress No cutoffs or tops Specials Reduced light-fare prices, for lunch and dinner
Food
available
I
Irish
Hours Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-2 a.m.; 7:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Metro Union Station
What leader
goes on This
—
centrally
is
not the oldest
p.m.-
I
pub
from stew to hot sandwiches
Irish
bar
in
town, but
it
providing the
has
Fittingly,
Now
Setting and atmosphere
part of the pricey and
Phoenix Hotel complex, the Dubliner carved walnut bar by the surviving
in
is
filled
If
the back room.The front bar
members
where the tweeds
you go Be
of the Dubliner's
filled
week
with
parties.
hunt-country gracious
is
louder and
Irish football in
often populated
livelier,
and soccer teams; the snug
is
the finest tradition; and the par-
gather.
sure to have at least one Guinness on draft:The Dubliner pours an esti-
mated quarter-million (the high ceilings carry political
Times next
with antiques, such as the 1810 hand-
a discreet heads-together, take-no-names hideaway is
Irish
St. Patrick's
clan
ground for
the Dubliner also has one of the most colorful histories,
romantic intrigue, boom-and-bust bank troubles, and riotous
lor
become the
training
founders of a half-dozen other bars, including the semi-sibling-rival
door
Monday-Friday
a.m.; daily specials
Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m.-3 a.m.; Sunday,
pol-connected, and
located,
1
classics,
Irish
tank
pints a year
Drop by the
smoke away) and the
Irish
Times next door for a breather
Finnegans
Wake
conversation, and interns' rave downstairs.Then
call
crazy quilt of literary and a cab. Please.
l^ALF MOON BAR-B-Q RETRO-ROADHOUSE WITH ROOTS ROCK/ROCKABILLY/BLUES BAR
Who
Goes There Beer buddies,Top 40 radio
borhood
IN
THE BACK
fugitives, off-duty musicians, neigh-
families
8235 Georgia Avenue; (30
Cover None-$l5 Wine
)
585- 290 1
Maryland suburbs. Zone
I
OC
1
$3.50
Beer $4-$5 Dress Anything
goes, from post-softball
and Nightspots
Profiles of Clubs
work
to fter
shirtsleeves to punk-country
pulled-pork sandwiches,
Hours
smoked
swank Food available
Ribs,
379
hot wings,
chicken, hamburgers
Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-
a.m.; Friday
1
and Saturday, 5 p.m.-3 a.m.
Metro
Sil-
ver Spring
What goes on
Top
and some national
local, regional cult
rockabilly, roots, blues, cajun
and occasionally zydeco acts
New
Setting and atmosphere Designed to evoke a bar/diner has a corrugated
tin bar,
ette-style booths; the back music
Orleans roadhouse, the front
hot-sauce-red pressed-tin
room
is
and old luncheon-
ceiling,
basement rec-room
basic.
not truly finger pickin' territory The food
good
If
you go
if
not great, and pretty cheap; the bar stocks 50 or so brands of beer and three or four
on
Relax, this
and the music
tap,
original Twist
is
is
& Shout
finger-lickin',
prime
—
as
if
is
one would hope from owner Marc Gretschel, whose of the
same name.
Hard Rock memorabilia
collectors;
Mary Chapin Carpenter song
club inspired the
HARD ROCK CAFE SOUVENIR SHOP DISGUISED AS BARBECUE BAR
Who Goes There 999 E
1
2-55; tourists and
locals;
experts
air-guitar
Street,
______^__
NW; (202)
The National
737-7625
Mall,
Cover None Minimum None Mixed drinks $7-$ Dress To be
Zone
Wine
8
I
$6-$
1
Beer $3-$7
5
seen: pony-print leather, denim, sports or rock-and-roll tour jackets, busi-
ness attire, creative black ingly
1
tie,
Bermuda shorts (on
tourists)
Food
available Surpris-
good
Hours
Sunday-Thursday,
I
I
a.m.-
1
I
p.m.; Friday
and Saturday,
I
I
a.m.-
1
a.m.
Metro
Metro Center
What goes on
Despite the name,
this
is
not actually a club
100 Hard Rocks around the world, each of which takes is
its
Rock
the "Embassy" and sometimes the "Smithsonian of
rotating the nearly 7,000 pieces of music history
shop, with
packed
—
a
its
signature T-shirts,
doorman
is
as
the
in
busy as the
— nor does
HRC
bar,
it
rock.
nickname from the 'n'
One
of
site, this
Roll," taking its
turn
collection. The souvenir
which
is
often stand-in-line
passes judgment on the hopeful.
Setting and atmosphere This
is
ersatz nostalgia for the second Rolling Stone gen-
eration, with a bar designed like a piano, half of a pink Cadillac (sort of a franchise sig-
nature) hanging from the ceiling, and a lot of fed suits from nearby buildings trying to
look cool. Hard Rock also makes a point of being Lollapalooza-era PC, supporting the
Walden Project and nuclear
freezes and hosting radio-chic benefits and post-concert
VIP receptions, usually without the star If
you go
Pick up the guidebook, formally
known
as the
"Hard Rock Cafe
Self-
Motivating Non-Nuclear-Powered Memorabilia Tour of the World's Foremost Rock
Look
for such treasures as
Bo
'n'
Diddley's
Roll
Museum" and
first
jerry-rigged electric guitar, Michael Jackson's glittering kneepad.and a stained-glass
start circling the balcony.
triptych featuring Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard.
380
Entertainment and Nightlife
PartTen
THE IMPROV NATIONAL-CIRCUIT COMEDY CLUB
Who Goes There
Visiting business types; 30ish suburbanites;
25-45 midlevel
managers I
NW; (202)
140 Connecticut Avenue,
Downtown, Zone
296-7008; www.dcimprov.com
3
Cover $ 0-$25, according to performer Minimum Two items Mixed drinks $4-$8 $5-$7 Beer $3-$4 Dress T-shirts with jacl<ets, suits, casual yup attire Specials Tuesday, free admission to anyone wearing an improv T-shirt ($12 in the lobby) Food 1
Wine
available
as available before the 8:30 p.m. show, but light fare
menu described
Full
whenever; standard
available
one-size-fits-all
menu
with chicken cordon bleu, prime
rib,
catch of the day, Caesar salad, etc.
Tuesday-Thursday, 7-1
Hours at
I
p.m.; Friday
8 p.m.and 10:30 p.m. (Friday and Saturday).
What
goes on
Standard Improv franchise
and Saturday, 6:30 p.m.-l2:30 a.m. Shows
Metro fare:
Farragut North or
A
short opening
Dupont
act,
Circle
often local; a
semi-established feature act; and a headliner from the national club/cable showcase cuit.
However,
like
many comedy
extended bookings of more Jack
Gallagher, who perform
clubs, the
theatrical
Improv
increasingly
cir-
dependent on
comics such as Rob 'The Caveman" Becker or
alone for 90 minutes or
Setting and atmosphere Again,
is
this
so.
goes with the franchise
—
a "brick wall" stage
sentimentally recalling the original no-frills Improvisation, and the black-and-white
checkerboard floor and trim that
is
practically a logo design.
TV
screens hang overhead
for those with obscured views, but they're not big enough to be terribly useful.The wait staff If
wear tux-material Bermuda
you go Don't bother to
order of
arrival isn't apt to
shorts.
come
early, at least
on weeknights, when being seated
in
be a problem. Since latecomers are usually seated amongst
the diners, you have no real reason to seek early reservations. Besides, nibbling through
the appetizers sitting
list is
a
more
satisfying
experience than
sitting
down
through the show. The Improv, though below sidewalk
access via the elevator
in
to dinner and then
level,
has wheelchair
the building lobby
mm,,mm «:.;«».— «»:# myswmmimm
itiilliKliillilil
IOTA NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN JOINT WITH SMART CONVERSATION AND ROCK ^
Who Goes There
LIVE
NEW-POP ROOTS
Messengers; students; thirtysomething T-shirts; microbrew-
savvy beer buddies; other musicians
2832 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington; (703) 522-8340
Cover
rail
1
1
some shows free Minimum None Mixed drinks $3-$ 10 Beer $3-$8.50 Dress Jeans, with or without bolo; hog leathers; baggy
wear; and frayed button-down collars Specials Happy hour 5-8 p.m., $1
and draft prices
Food
off
available Freestyle, eclectic pub food but far better than
most: Asian spicy beef, tuna steak, black pepper-doused french
Hours
Zone
Wine
varies,
$3.50-$4.50 athletic
Virginia suburbs,
Every day, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.
fries.
Metro Clarendon or Courthouse
—
A Profiles of
Clubs and Nightspots
1
38
What goes on On a regular basis, this has the best lineup of acoustic rock, neo-roots. soft psychedelic,
who
and eclectic melodic rock
town, and
in
it's
the quality of the people
run the shows, both before and behind the scenes, that makes
When
dorn holds the open mike on Wednesdays. likely
to find
hometown
favorite Kevin
Setting and atmosphere tionally
In a
time
town,
he's in
Johnson hosting songwriters'
when
a lot of
mismatched rec-room random look,
where you're
is
nights.
Washington bars have an
decor
lota's
Steve Hage-
so.
it
this
is
murals, geometric eyecatchers chiseled into the exposed brick walls, and
show the age erwise). The
of the neighborhood (especially nice, since there's so
room used
to be only half this
size,
If
you go
This
is
good
a
beams that
of
little
but giving the performers
elbow room has not made either the musicians or
inten-
unusual but intelligent
it
oth-
left
some
extra
their audiences self-conscious.
place to strike up a conversation at the bar before the music
gets loud: you run into crossword puzzle freaks, novelists, doctoral candidates, musicians, roadies,
and ponytails of the friendly
sort.
It's
the sort of bar that makes hanging
out a pleasure.
JAMMIN'JAVA ALL-AGES ALT-ROCK COFFEHOUSETO THE MAX, WITH ROCK, A LITTLE PUNK, COUNTRY, FOLK, AND BLUES, AND EVEN THE
ODD JUG BAND
Who Goes There musical
Unreconstructed hard-folk boomers, fannily hop efuls, eclectic-minded 20-somethings
227 Maple Avenue, East Vienna; (703) 255- 566;
Virginia suburbs.
1
Cover $5-$20,
Wine $7 Beer mom and Land's End
according to performer
mostly jean therapy but also
softball
Wraps and sandwiches,"gourmet
Hours Monday-Thursday,
chilis"
7 a.m.-
1
I
and
Zone
$4-$5 Dress Easy men's jeans
Food
1
1
listening,
available
espresso drinks
salads, plus
p.m.; Friday,
diners, mid-life
7 a.m. -midnight; Saturday, 8 a.m.-
midnight; Sunday, 9 a.m.- 10 p.m.
What goes on Two or three sets of music per night, mostly local regional and college-circuit acts and
open-mike Mondays
Setting and atmosphere This
one of the
fortably snug L-shaped
and the music
room
room
is
area's
(also a recording studio)
ers, If
the Brindleys,
who
you go There
is
are recording their
somewhat
limited seating
often SRO, but nobody's a stranger here;
be better to come
early, eat
own
it's
(maybe grab a
LULU'S NIGHT CLUB
some good
most promising venues,
with bar and food counter
in
a
com-
front with a handful of tables
around the
smoking, family-friendly version of a music club, and
but with
side. This
in fact it's
is
an all-ages, no-
owned by three
broth-
alt-country album there. in
the music room, and the crowd
a nice mix. Since
table),
you can eat
all
day,
it
and save the espresso for the show.
«i**«^
MARDI GRAS SINGLES BAR/SEMI-OLDIES DISCO
Who Goes There
25-45;
office fugitives; last-chance bachelorettes;
lege jocks
1217 22nd Street,
NW; (202)
86 -5858; www.lulusclub.com 1
Dupont Circle/Adams-Morgan, Zone 6
is
may
former
col-
382
Entertainment and Nightlife
PartTen
Cover $5-$
punk Specials Happy hour boys, bar fare,
sometimes crawfish and
Metro Dupont
Circle
What goes on
This
beginning at 4 p.m., begin to
fry, it
is
available
cow-
Gumbo, etouffee,po'
half-shells
a pack-'em-in lunch spot, catering to nearby office workers, but
the Dixieland band "promenades" and the appetizer baskets
when
becomes
a
permanent
party. In the three DJ areas, the
boomers who used to patronize the bar
40, for the early
was
Food
daily
$4-$8
Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-l:30 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-2:30 a.m.
Hours
it
change
specials
drinl<s
prep, after-office hours, Cajun
$4-$7 Beer $4-$6 Dress Georgetown
^jne
Top
Minimum None Mixed
according to performer
5,
1
music ranges from
when
nearly 20 years ago
Deja Vu, to techno and hip-hop. Actually, after the complex's recent
first called
removation, the lounge became DejaVu again, and dancing here really
A
Setting and atmosphere
re-created corner of
Bourbon
is
deja vu.
Street, with the restau-
rant area authentically accessorized with wrought-iron balcony and the glittering carnival
queen gown that the owner's mother.
procession. There's a garden-style dining
room
Lulu,
wore
the
in
1962 Mardi Gras
reminiscent of Brennan's conservatory,
and the multiple bar and informal dance rooms form a warren of exposed brick
walls,
bare-board floors, and mahogany bars. If
you go Try
arriving during
happy hour to avoid the cover and enjoy the
specials.
MCCXXUl GEN-X/GEN-TECHS VERSION OF CONSPICUOUS CHAMPAGNE CHIC
Who Goes There tious
comm ittee
Embassy/buppie/Euro
staff,
NW; (202)
223 Connecticut Avenue,
1
slicks;
white
collar/-tie associates;
ambi-
trust fund babies
Dupont
822- 800 1
Circle/ Adams-Morgan,
Zone 6 Cover None drinks $6-$
about $ 5 after 10 p.m. on event nights
early, 1
1
Wine $6-$8 Beer $4-$6 Dress One
around, and old-fashioned
Food
doormen
Hours
Tuesday-Thursday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.;
Metro
Farragut
What goes on Once the cocktail swing-your-VIP, with a mix of
Setting and atmosphere 1
223, the street address)
Mixed
so stalk the stalk as you talk the talk
rant downstairs,
is
you go
is
4 p.m.-2
Now
a.m.; Saturday,
6 p.m.-3 a.m.;
Circle
hour conventions are observed, the club goes showand even Top 40 music.
a three-story complex,
MCCXXXIII
industrial chic for the titanium-card
champagne lounge
Sleek and breezy
Friday,
North or Dupont
disco, house, reggae
floor.
(cute-speak for
crowd: caviar bar restau-
upstairs, catwalk to glide over,
dance club-within-a-club on the third
If
it,
drink
I
available Happy hour S-9 p.m.Tuesdays,Thursdays and Fridays
Sunday, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
ily
to enforce
Minimum
of the strictest dress codes
and
now
You can even reserve your
boudoir-style
favorite couch.
the atmosphere, and that goes for the lit-within fabric dividers.
Definitely hit the
Remember that this
is
ATM; you'll need
lavish tip
cash as well as your credit cards.
only one of a half-dozen hotspots at this intersection, including the
subterranean Red and Andalu;see the description of the 18th Street nighdife intersection in
the introduction to this chapter
Profiles of
Clubs and Nightspots
383
W"
NATION THREE-RING CIRCUS OF THEATRICALLY PRODUCED DANCE-TILL- YOU-TRANCE MUSIC
Who Goes There
1
8-35; electronica fans; club
1015 Half Street. SE; (202) 554- 500
kids;
Southeast.
1
curious revelers
Zone 9
Cover $10-$ 5. according to perfornner Minimum None Mixed drinks $4-$8 $4-$6 Beer $3-$5 Dress Varies widely, from jeans and tees to outlandish club1
Wine
wear Food available
Hours
What
Every
day,
No
7 p.m.-2 a.m.
(officially)
goes on Depending on the
and even Goth events, with guest
night,
up to 2.000 fans of
rave, synthpop, house, gay
from international-circuit DJs and the odd drag
stints
queen.
Setting and atmosphere Counting the outdoor deck, three separate dance clubs operate with professional ing If
you go Dress
cially
lighting,
sound and mix equipment, with bars and lounge
seat-
about.
all
to your groove, which can
on late-Saturday "Velvet"
nights,
when
mean anything from
black leather
the gay dancers congregate
—to
—
espe-
black Boss
to black chiffon.
9:30 NATIONAL-NAME
LIVE ALTERNATIVE, PROGRESSIVE.
Who Goes There ical
types; couriers;
815V
8-35;
new
nnusic hopefuls; postgrads;
polit-
Wine
Downtown, Zone 7
393-0930; www.930.com
with entertainment, from $5 to as
drinks $4-$5.25
young media and
cowpunks
NW; (202)
Street,
Cover Varies
1
SEMI-PUNK ROCK MUSIC CLUB
$4.50-$6.50
much
as
$40
Minimum None Mixed
Beer $3.25-$4.25 Dress Grunge,
imitation
grunge, rhinestone cowboy, leftover businesswear, knife-customized athletic wear, black jersey, black
spandex, black denim, and black baggies
Food
available Tex-Mex and bar-
becue fare
Hours
Sunday-Thursday. 7:30 p.m.-until close; Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m.-until close
Metro U
Street
What goes on moved
"9:30"
is
the name,
into an old gospel music hall
used to be the address (before the former club
it
and radio broadcast
site),
showtime, but thanks to workday hangovers, mid-week music
most important
arguably Washington's cert
get
work
might see
from new bands
eclectic
is
booking of breaking
a real prize. In
A
slightly
—but
"quiet
room" and
acts,
any given month, you
trendy mix of leftover cornices, pilasters, virtue-
of-necessity exposed steel trusses, and dropped lighting lines.
is
major con-
BoDeans, or funk patriarch George Clinton.
Setting and atmosphere
with great sight
used to be the
as their reputations rise. Promising local bands fight to
as first acts here; a headliner contract Liz Phair, the
it
starts at 8:30.This
club, the loss-leader indulgence of
promoter Seth Hurwitz. who. with daring and
fosters loyalty
and
now
The
still
theatrically dark,
balconies are fine, and there are several bars, including one
a nostalgic, grungier
one downstairs.
384 If
you go
one
Entertainment and Nightlife
PartTen
Find out who's playing:The
crowd that pays up
Crenshaw or Happy Mondays
for Marshall
for IceT isn't the
—or They Might Be
same
as the
Giants, or even
Anthrax. Never accuse Hurwitz of lacking a sense of humor.
OZIO TREND -HAPPY, NEOCON MARTINI AND CIGAR LOUNGE
Who Goes There
Ash-kissing Standard & Poor's and Rat Pack-chic wannabes, but with only standard pickup lines and a limited grasp of the inside-the-Beltway gossip they dish; nouveau riche-makers 1
8
1
3
M
Street,
NW; (202)
822-6000; wv^^.oziodc.com
European-cut jackets and Nicole Miller
menswear or Eurotrash
tapas" that are
more
ties (especially
skinny-fits for
the ones with martini glasses);
women Food
available "American
Middle Eastern crostini, but interesting; a short
like
3
Wine $5-$9 Beer $5 Dress
Cover None Minimum None Mixed drinks $6-$ 10 Imitation
Downtown, Zone
menu
of
entrees, primarily steaks and seafood
Hours Monday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Metro Farragut North or Dupont Circle
What
goes on Posturing
doing nothing"
—
hanging,
in
Friday, 5
for fun and profit. The
p.m.-3 a.m.; Saturday, 6 p.m.-3 a.m.
name
is
other words.The action starts
gradually shifts into Euro-Latin and,
on the highest
for "the act of
Italian slang in
a lounge-lizard style, and
levels (that's
the third and fourth
floors to you), hip-hop, house, and trance.
Setting and atmosphere This
is
actually
what a
cigar-and-martini lounge ought to
look like:Tuscan red sponged walls; a sleek, glass-walled, walk-in cigar
row
cocktail tables for noshing
and Deco-ish
light fixtures
and ashing, set
off
designed to suggest the Paris Metro.
It is,
in fact,
from the sidewalk, which makes even more atmospheric sense. Ozio night jazz If
on Monday-Wednesday
you go
nights,
is
downstairs
trying out late-
even more Parisian electric guitar
Bring your gold and platinum cards: the martinis are long and strong and
cost between $8 and $10, while the cigars run $8 to $50.There ing
vault; lots of low,
with recycled wrought-iron fencing
room. And carry a
lot of business cards, too: This
is
is
one smoke-free
din-
turning into a network center
for up-and-coming lobbyists and credit card sharks.
PLATINUM DISCO BALL GLITTERING
Who Goes There 915 F
Street,
IN
IN
THE BASEMENT
Younger internationals
NW; (202)
Downtown, Zone
THE MAIN HALL. LATIN SHARKSKIN GLITTERING
393-3555; wvvw.platinumclubdc.com
3
Cover Free early, then $5-$ 5 Minimum None Mixed drinks $4-$8 Wine $5-$7 Beer $3-$5 Dress Trendy Specials Vary Food available Sushi (what else?) 1
Metro Metro Center
Hours
Thursday-Sunday. 10 p.m.-3 a.m.
What
goes on Despite changing names
a couple of times (Fifth
may have survived to become the grande dame
ally
the entry-level club for would-be sophisticates. Thursday
you
a discount), Friday
is
Column, the Bank),
of D.C. neo-discos, and
this
is
is
tradition-
College Night (ID gets
old-fashioned Ladies' Night (Cinderellas get
in
free
till
mid-
Profiles of Clubs
Saturday
night).
is
and Nightspots
385
and Sunday are heavier, with hip-hop
just a trancy free-for-all. Tuesday
the dominant beat.
A
Setting and atmosphere
fomer bank. Platinum
and marble flooring, and
a lavish chandelier
has the prosperous look, with
still
sound system to match. Four floors
a
counting the VIP lounge con fireplace, and balconies to be scene
candy and cigars to both If
you go Dress code
most the better
Home
Nightclub
at 91
F Street,
I
sell
clubs these days, so college studio
the faux-cool for the fashion chic. Get
hour to save money and shoetime outside.
club.net), a
Concessions
in.
and guys.
here, as with
dump
or congressional aide, ing
girls
NW
the
If
line's
too
long,
in
before the witch-
check out the nearby
(phone (202) 638-4663; v^ww.homenight
new and very promising weekends-only annex from
the same management.
TAKOMA STATION TAVERN CLASSICALLY MINDED BUPPIE JAZZ BAR
Who GoesThere
25-55; mixed media types; yuppies; buppies; other musicians
6914 Fourth
NW; (202)
Street,
829- 999; www.takomastation.com 1
Upper Northwest, Zone 7
Cover $5 Minimum None Mixed drinks strong enough to
Dress
Suits
$4-$8.50; their Long Island Iced Tea
make you confuse your geography.
and nice dresses; jeans, but with a
jacket;
Wine
no
cutoffs;
no tennis shoes Spe-
Happy hour 4-8 p.m. weekdays Food available Southern-style
cials
is
$3.50-$7 Beer $3-$5
fried chicken,
greens, meatloaf, ribs
Hours
Metro
Sunday-Thursday, 4 p.m.-l:30 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
Takoma
What
goes on Cocktail conversation here
profile area pros
—
jam
begin, the attention level
taciturn
is
Bobby Boyd,
this
is
pretty good.
A true
once the performers
neighborhood
—
who drop
joint
owned
highin
to
by the
bar was one of the nightspots that helped revitalize the
untrendy side of Takoma Park without changing
Setting and atmosphere This fully,
loud, but
and often national-rank musicians passing through
building, a
with exposed brick, see-through
room
its
character
former boxing gym, wears
dividers that
its
make the bar an
age grace-
integral part
of the stage area, and just a handful of hanging plants. if
you go Don't be
demonstrative, especially
if
you arrive
nightside schedule and like to start mellow. Don't in
after production hours.
Sunday
is
change-up
gawk
night,
early; the
at the
with
Boyds
media types
live
live
on the
who come
reggae and a
slightly
younger crowd.
YACHT CLUB OF BETHESDA SECOND-CHANCE
SINGLES BAR
Who GoesThere
AND RETRO DISCO
28-55; platinum cards and platinum blondes; the monied and
the alimonied
8111 WoodmontAvenue,Bethesda;(30l) 654-2396;
www.yachtclubofbethesda.com
Maryland suburbs. Zone lOA
386
Entertainment and Nightlife
PartTen
Cover $5 Wednesday-Thursday, Friday happy hour 7-9 p.m. open bar $12, then $14; Saturday, $14 Minimum None Mixed drinks $4-$4.50 Wine $3-$4 Beer $3-$4.50 Dress Dress as class advertisement; big earrings, gold chains for women, too; jacket
—
and
men Food available
required for
tie
Entrees, appetizers, and sandwiches
Hours Wednesday-Thursday, 7 p.m.- a.m.; Friday, 7 p.m.-2 a.m.; Metro Medical Center or Bethesda 1
Saturday, 8 p.m.-2
a.m. Closed Sunday-Tuesday.
What
goes on Upper, upper-middle, and upper-ambitious
sion denial eye their conjugal options; close to 100 marital
here. This astonishingly successful mating pen, with list
to match,
is
Tommy
A
Setting and atmosphere
Matchmaker
— but one
Curtis's use of the title
metaphors for preferred rather than actual
maybe If
it
suggests the
you go
amount
Either line up before 8 p.m. or wait
Coco
waiting line
many who
in
little
Bethesda, which
do, shouldn't), get
is
till
about
down
company
in
"commodore," are
I
I
Or
the hatch.
.This
the sort of place that
is
Chanel; you can be rich and thin enough, but
or too black.The Yacht Club boasts the only black-tie
sort of a
in line
self-fulfilling
prophecy.
at the pool table.
Or
If
you don't dance (and
just plunk yourself
the bar with a drink; the soft-hearted Curtis, an inveterate yenta, for your
style that in
that belongs to a
wearing Polo sportswear
lifestyle, like
of booze that nightly goes
confuses Gloria Vanderbilt with
your dress can never be too
and burgundy deco
classy woodgrain, gray,
The name, and
prime.
his
the
suite of a luxury cruiser
does suggest the master
sportsman past
golden-oldies playlist and guest
its
the brainchild of longtime singles-bar spinmaster, flatter-patter DJ,and
trend-shift sacrificial lamb
fact
ring candidates in reces-
matches have been made
down
at
have a candidate
will
a flash.
ZANZIBAR WORLD-BEAT DISCO
Who Goes There
23^5; trade
law,
embassy, and import reps; buppies, West
African entrepreneurs, and Latin chic-sters
700 Water
Cover $5
Street,
before
SW; (202) 554-9 00
1
1
p.m.
p.m. on Friday, $ 5 after
I
1
I
I
on Wednesday and Thursday, $ I
p.m.;
$
1
Minimum None Mixed
p.m.
The National
before
I
I
p.m.
Mall, after
1
on Saturday
drinks $4-$8.50
Wine
Dress Dress to impress or advertise success: European flounces, aerobic
wear
Zone
disguised as cocktail spandex;
no
1
I
p.m.;
$
before
1
(ladies free),
I
I
$ 5 after 1
$4.75-$6 Beer $4-$5 lapels,
dresses with hip
T-shirts, jeans,
or sneakers
allowed Specials Free admission and hors d'oeuvres at happy hour, 5-7 p.m. Fridays
and 9-10 p.m. Saturdays
Hours Wednesday, day, 9
Food
5 p.m.-
1
available
a.m.;Thursday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday, 5 p.m.-3 a.m.; Satur-
p.m.-4 a.m.; closed Sunday-Tuesday.
What
goes on
Salsa, soca,
West African menu
Full
Metro Maine Avenue
soukous, samba
salsa, reggae,
mostly on the turntable, but occasionaly with sively stylish singles bar,
live
and even go-go take turns
bands. This
is
an expansively, expen-
with potentially valuable networking as the undertone.
serious action starts after midnight; the visiting amateurs tend to turn pumpkin at
The 1
2.
Profiles of Clubs Setting and atmosphere
A sometime
and Nightspots
bureaucrats' business lunchspot,this
underground wood-and-brick conference room-setup divided into areas, with a If
mahogany bar
you go Be prepared
at the bar unless
facing both
to dance
if
and
you want to meet people; there's very
window.
little
chatter
you prove yourself (or are extremely well dressed). The downstairs
move up and down both
wave of unattached partners. Note: To prices,
a long,
larger and smaller
a lighted patio fountain outside the
mostly restaurant, with great water views; the upstairs with the flow,
is
387
is
nearly
all
dance
floor.
is
To go
an unspoken
sides of the
room; there
simplify
the tips are built into the drink
life,
which makes them something more of a bargain.
Is
tidal
Part Eleven
Exercise
and Recreation
Working Out Most of
the folks
Some
tinely.
bike,
on our
some
Unofficial
some
run,
Guide research team work out rou-
Hft weights or
do
Washington during the hot summer months,
iting
aerobics.
it
figure out that exercising in the city's fearsome heat
some problems. The best months for outdoor
While
vis-
didn't take long to
and humidity pre-
sented
exercise are
March through June and
October through December. In July and August, you must get up very early to beat the heat. January
although snow usually unless
you
get
up very
isn't
early,
and February can bring quite cold weather,
During the summer months, we recommend working out indoors. a problem.
Walking With
its
wide-open spaces, Washington
is
made
for walking. Security
is
very good along the Mall and Potomac Park, making for a safe walking
environment
A
Parks als
at all
long walk offers
hours of the day and night.
down
the Mall
and through East and West Potomac
grand views of the Lincoln, Jefferson, and
and the Washington Monument,
Potomac
as well as the
FDR Memori-
Tidal Basin and the
River. For a really long excursion, cross Arlington
Memorial
Bridge and explore Arlington National Cemetery. You can also walk
north along the river past the
Kennedy Center and
the
Thompson Boat
Center and into Georgetown.
North of the Mall, downtown is not particularly interesting or aesthetand not too safe above New York Avenue. North of the White House, Connecticut Avenue offers unlimited window-shopping at the city's ritziest shops. South of the Capitol, Fort McNair is open to ically pleasing
—
anyone who would
like to stroll
through well-kept grounds on a narrow
peninsula where the Washington Channel and the Anacostia River meet
389
390
Exercise and Recreation
Part Eleven
Metro
the Potomac: take the
to the Waterfront Station
and walk
straight
down Fourth Street, SW, to Fort McNair (not recommended after dark). Afterwards, you can stroll the waterfront marinas on Maine Avenue. Although you must drive to get there, the U.S. National Arboretum in Northeast trails
offers walkers three-and-a-half miles
Washington
winding through 444
May,
fields
of
acres
trees
and
flowering dogwood, and mountain
of azaleas,
of easy
flowers. In late April
and
laurel are in
bloom.
The Mall and
its
surrounding areas are
deceiving there, making
fairly flat,
and distances can be
easy to overextend yourself Carry
it
to buy refreshments en route and for cab or Metro
money
your hotel in case you
get too tired to
fare
enough back to
walk back.
Running Washington's wealth of parks offers plenty of options to both casual and serious joggers. Most of the better running areas are relatively flat but visually stunning.
Many
of the best paths are centrally located, close to
major in-town hotels and other late
afternoon run easy to
fit
recommend jogging
don't
attractions,
making
either a
morning or
into a busy business or touring schedule.
at night; see the section
on "How
to
We
Avoid
Crime and Keep Safe in Public Places" in Part Four, page 110. The heart of Washington and its most popular running location is the Mall, featuring packed-dirt paths. Nearby, the Ellipse (behind the White House) and the Tidal Basin Tree-shaded
good
starting point
Creek Parkway
in
is
is
a better bet during hot weather.
A
Rock Pierce Mill and
crosses over
Northwest Washington. Run north to
In Georgetown, the
what
paved pathways to run on.
where Connecticut Avenue
is
your steps for a four-mile
retrace
offers
offer
Rock Creek Park
jog.
Chesapeake
&
Ohio (C&O) Canal Towpath
probably the best running surface in town. Runners,
and hikers love this wide, dirt-pack trail that runs for miles between the scenic Potomac River and the canal. The river views are spectacular in places; the placid canal reflects the greenery alongside; and cyclists,
and locks appear at regular intervals. Mileposts along you informed of your distance. Farther up, in Marythe enormous cataract at Great Falls attracts hikers and picnickers.
historic lockhouses
the towpath keep land,
Another
river route
is
the
Mount Vernon
and goes downriver on the Virginia miles to
Run
Trail, a
paved path that
near the Lincoln Memorial, crosses Arlington Memorial Bridge,
starts
to
miles.
Mount Vernon.
side of the
Potomac
for
about 16
Unless you're a marathoner, cut this run in
half:
Ronald Reagan National Airport and back, about seven and a half In blustery fall, winter, and early spring weather, runners and
cyclists will find that the better-protected
C&O
Canal Towpath
offers
C&O
Canal
Towpath Trail (
Georgetown Center to Swains Lock
)
KILOMETERS
391
Mount Vernon Trail N
KILOMETERS
392
Working Out
393
more protection from strong winds coming off the river. Closer to downtown and the Mall, West Potomac Park is the best route in the spring, when the Japanese cherry trees are blooming around the Tidal Basin. Start near the Jefferson
loop
at the
the Jefferson
morning
Memorial, head down Ohio Drive, and make the
end of the park;
if
you've got any energy
Memorial and loop around the Tidal
continue past
left,
Go
Basin.
early in the
to beat the crowds.
Getting to the Track If your hotel
is
downtown, the Mall
is
the closest option you have with-
out driving or taking the Metro. If you're staying along the Connecticut
Avenue your
corridor,
best bets. In
Rock Creek Park and
C&O
Canal Towpath
are
Mount Vernon Trail and
the
the
Alexandria or Rosslyn, the
Washington and Old Dominion Regional Park are popular paved running paths. In suburban Maryland, Greenbelt Park offers both paved
and unpaved
surfaces to run on, as well as a one-mile fitness
ted with 20 exercise stations. Ask your
ning
trails
close to
where you're
hotel's concierge for a
trail outfit-
map
of run-
staying.
Swimming Local waters are polluted to one degree or another, so stick to your hotel
swimming
pool.
The
closest saltwater
beach
on
is
US
Sandy Point State Park 50 on the shores of the
Maryland, about an Chesapeake Bay. Atlantic Ocean beaches are a minimum three-hour drive; traffic tie-ups on summer weekends are horrendous as beachgoers hour's drive east
in
ftinnel into the
twin Chesapeake Bay bridges, where multihour backups
are routine.
Free Weights and Almost lifting
all
Elliptical
Trainers
of the major hotels have a spa or
fitness
room with weight-
equipment. For an aerobic workout, most of the
fitness
rooms
offer a stationary bicycles, a Stairmaster, or an elliptical trainer.
Fitness Centers and Aerobics Many Washington fitness centers are members-only and or short-term memberships.
The few exceptions
Company, www.thefitnesscompany.com,
are
don't offer daily
coed.
all
The
Fitness
features free weights, fixed
full range of aerobic exercise equipment including a Stairmasrowing and cycling machines, and a fijll schedule of aerobics classes. (across Washington Sports Club, at 1835 Connecticut Avenue,
weights, a ter,
NW
from the Hilton near Dupont
and
services as
information,
The
call
Fitness
Circle), offers
Company. The
(202) 332-0100.
much
the
daily rate
is
same
activities
$25. For more
394
Exercise and Recreation
Part Eleven
Tennis Washington's three pubHc tennis clubs are popular, making get a court during peak hours without a reservation.
Tennis Center, located
at
west, has 25 total courts.
The
advance. or go to
club
is
club accepts reservations up to a
open from 7 a.m.
www.rockcreektennis.com Park, features 10 clay
prime-time hours go
fast,
difficult to
16th and Kennedy Streets in Upper North-
The
to
1 1
week
in
p.m. Call (202) 722-5949
more information. on Ohio Drive
for
The East Potomac Tennis Club, Potomac
it
The Rock Creek
located
in East
and 14 hard
courts. Reservations for
and you need
to
make
reservations a
week
in
advance. Players have a good chance of getting a court without reservations
weekdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Rates range from $22 to $30 A credit card deposit is required. Call (202) 554-5962 for more
an hour.
information.
Rock Creek more information.
Pierce Mill, a small tennis center located in
554-5962
clay courts. Call (202)
for
Park,
offers
Recreational Sports: Biking, Hiking, Kayaking, and So
On
Bicycling Washington cling,
from
offers flat
both on- and off-road
and easy
cruises along
Canal Towpath, to challenging
cyclists a
wide variety of bicy-
paved bike paths and the
C&O
terrain in the rolling countryside
of
nearby Virginia and Maryland. In early spring
warmers
to
tures range
summer
and
late fall, cyclists
keep off the
chill.
should wear riding tights and arm
From May through October,
from comfortable
to scorching
—
the tempera-
predictably the latter
on
afternoons. Listen to weather forecasts for predictions of after-
noon thunderstorms
in the late
best season for cycling
summer; they can be fearsome.
around Washington, with
a riot of color as the leaves turn in
mid-
Washington's mild climate offers at
warm enough
to induce cyclists to
A variety of bicycles
to late October.
least a
jump on
Fall
is
cool, crisp weather
Even
the
and
in winter,
few days a month that are their bikes.
are available for rent at
Thompson Boat Center
(one-speed bikes are $4 an hour or $15 a day, and hybrid bikes are $8 an
hour or $25 a day; (202) 333-4861), open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, and bikes must returned by 6 p.m. The center is located between the
Kennedy
Center
and
Georgetown
on
the
Boathouse, above Georgetown on Canal Road, for
2 hours or $12 a day; (202) 244-0461).
Potomac. also rents
Fletcher's
out bikes ($8
395
396
Part Eleven
Road
Biking
Exercise and Recreation
downtown Washington,
In
ing traffic congestion,
pied with bike
monuments and
on Washington's
hardened urban
bicycling
is
better left to couriers. Unrelent-
combined with absent-minded
tourists preoccu-
finding a cheap parking space, makes riding a
streets a brutal
cyclists. Luckily,
experience for
Washington
all
features a
but the most
network of bike
paths that takes the terror out of riding a skinny-tired bike in
—the
of
In terms of great scenery and
Mount Vernon Trail
the
to pedaling the 16 trips to
and
is
paved miles to
Dyke Marsh
to really get a workout,
enough distance
Washington's premier bike path. In addition
Mount Vernon,
cyclists
can make side
wildlife habitat, explore fortifications at Fort
Hunt,
see a 19th-century lighthouse at Jones Point Park.
Another good out-and-back
ride
is
the
Washington and Old Domin-
ion Railroad Regional Park
(W&OD),
bikeway that connects with the
Mount Vernon Trail
Memorial Bridge on the Virginia with a
series
Mount Vernon
Washington by at the
a 4 5 -mile-long, paved linear
side of the
upriver of Arlington
Potomac. The
trail intersects
of "bubble" parks in urban Northern Virginia and provides
access to the rural Virginia countryside
the
—and out
city.
W&OD
and the by riding across the Arlington Memorial Bridge,
Trail
bicycle
beyond the Capital Beltway. Both trail are easily reached from
Lincoln Memorial.
Road
riders itching to see beautiful countryside outside the
Washing-
ton metropolitan area (but within a day's drive) should go to either
Mid-
dleburg, Virginia, or Frederick, Maryland. Middleburg, about 30 miles west of D.C.,
is
in the heart
of Virginia's horse country. Beautiful
rolling countryside in the foothills of the Blue traffic tic
Ridge Mountains and low-
roads bordering thoroughbred horse farms
make
this area a fantas-
place to spin the cranks.
Frederick, Maryland,
is
North of town along US hatcheries, and mountain
about an hour's drive north of Washington. 15, covered bridges,
narrow back roads,
fish
vistas evoke images of Vermont. The Covered Bridge Cicyle Tour starts at Frederick Community College. From D.C.
take 1-270 north to Frederick
Opposumtown
and get on
US
15 north; then exit on
Pike going north to the college, about a mile on the
left.
To the south of Frederick, a 25-mile loop around Sugar Loaf Mountain is
a favorite with local road cyclists.
Mountain Biking Fat-tired cyclists can ride
1
84 miles one-way on the Chesapeake
& Ohio
Canal Towpath, beginning in Georgetown then following along the Potomac River upstream to Cumberland, Maryland. The hardpacked dirt surface gives the illusion
of being
flat all
the way; actually, the trip
Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour
Frederick
Community College
Stan and finish of bicvcle tour
Bicycle route
f-G^- Direction f^
of travel
Covered Bridge
397
398
Recreational Sports
upriver
slightly uphill.
is
Because of floods in the winter and spring,
idea to call the National Park Service at (301)
good
399
sure the section you're planning to ride
Hammerheads looking climbing have to do some
is
open
739-4200
but
it,
a
to cyclists.
for challenging single-track
driving to find
it's
make
to
it's
and some steep
worth
it.
The Fred-
erick Municipal Watershed offers the best technical single-track this side of West Virginia
—and
it's
a lot closer. Located an hour's drive
from
Washington near Frederick, Maryland, the 6,000-acre, mountaintop forest is riddled with narrow trails and well-maintained dirt roads. Since there are hardly any signs or
trail
markers, the Catoctin Furnace
Quad-
rangle topographic
must. Local knowledge
helps, too; call
bike shop, at (301) 663-
9288
map and a compass are a the Wheel Base, Frederick's pro
maps and
for
advice.
Hiking While only about 15 minutes from downtown, Theodore Roosevelt Island wide,
a wilderness oasis offering hikers a litde over three miles of
is
paths through forests,
flat
The park
is
located
swampy
on the Potomac River
marshes, and rocky beaches.
across
from the Kennedy Cen-
and can be reached by car. Park in the area off the northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway on the Virginia side of the ter
river.
A footbridge connects
The dirt
way
the Virginia shore to the island.
C&O Canal, which begins in Georgetown, features a hardpacked
path that follows the Potomac River north for 184 miles. Along the are river views, forest, and wildlife. At Great Falls Park, north of
Washington on the Virginia side of the river, the Potomac roars over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through a narrow gorge. It's a dramatic scene and worth the trip. Hiking trails follow the river and offer views of
Mather Gorge. Rock Creek Park
offers 15 miles
of hiking
trails,
plus bridle
available at the park headquarters,
in
trails
Northwest Washington
you can
hike.
5163 Williamsburg Lane,
Maps
are
NW (phone
(202) 895-6070).
For a more extensive guide to hikes in the Elliott's
area,
check out author Paul
book, 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Washington, D.C., published by
Menasha Ridge
(www.menasharidge.com).
Press
Canoeing and Kayaking Canoes and rowboats
Potomac River
at
are available for rent
Thompson Boat
on the
Center,
C&O
Canal and the
located
between the
Kennedy Center and Georgetown (phone (202) 333-4861). Single kayaks are $8 an hour or $24 a day, double kayaks are $10 an hour or $30 a day, and canoes are $8 an hour or $22 a day. Fletcher's Boat House located at Canal and Reservoir Roads above Georgetown (phone
400
Exercise and Recreation
Part Eleven
(202) 244-0461), have canoes for rent at $1
Boats, located on
K Street in Georgetown
canoes and kayaks for rent at the
be rented
1
an hour or $21 a day. Jack's
(phone (202) 337-9642), have
$10 an hour or $30
at
a day. Pedal boats can
Tidal Basin (phone (202) 484-0206): a two-passenger
is $8 an hour and a four-passenger rental is $16 an hour. Whitewater enthusiasts need go only a few miles north of the Capital
rental
Beltway to find excellent Class
through Class VI rapids year-round on
I
Potomac. Local boaters boast that
the
it's
the best urban whitewater
experience in the United States, featuring a very remote, wilderness
One
of the most popular
put-in
at
is
trips
is
have to run a shuttle:
It's
bank
at
rapids.
Maryland's Great
Seasoned paddlers
Angler's Inn
to
don't
your starting
is
very scenic, featuring
is
National Park or become another
to try
and end
Falls
Seneca rapids, no shuttle
190), north of
meaning you
you return
rapids, the river
Falls
may want
below Great
(MD
But you must make the next take-out on the
the river drops through Great
that start
Road
also the take-out,
C&O Canal, about one-and-a-half miles below
Below the Seneca
many islands and no
is
feel.
Seneca rapids section. The
a round-trip that lets
point by paddling up the Violets Lock.
tistic as
II
Violets Lock, located on River
Potomac, Maryland. Violets Lock
left
the Class
sta-
Falls.
running the Class at the
Old
II/III-plus rapids
Angler's Inn.
required: Park across the road
As with
from the Old
on MacArthur Boulevard on the Maryland side of the trail to the put-in. Paddle upstream on the C&O
Potomac and follow the Canal to below Great
Falls (at least
100 yards)
for the return leg.
Boat Rides Sixty-minute excursions leave Georgetown and Great the
C&O
vice guides
Foundry Mall, below $8
for adults
4 to
14.
Virginia,
on
wear nineteenth-century costumes, take the boat through a
and explain the history of the
lock,
Falls,
Canal most days from April to mid-October. National Park Ser-
and $6
M Street
for seniors ages
Call (202) 653-5190
Board and buy
canal.
at Thomas Jefferson
62 and
over,
Street,
tickets near the
NW. Tickets are
and $5 for children ages and more information.
for current schedules
Skiing Moderately good downhill
from Washington and skiing in
ski slopes are
offer dependable,
within a couple hours' drive
machine-made snow and night
from November through March. Whitetail,
a $25-million ski area feet,
14
for information
on
nearby Pennsylvania, features a vertical drop of almost 1,000
trails,
and plenty of lift
ski packages, lodging,
Jointly
capacity. Call (717)
and
lift
328-9400
rates.
owned Ski Roundtop and Liberty Mountain
Resort, also
located in south-central Pennsylvania, are about a two- to three-hour
Spectator Sports
drive
from Washington, Both
offer 600-foot verticals, 13 trails,
percent snowmaking. Call Ski
Mountain Resort
at
Roundtop
(717) 642-8282 for
at
lift
401
and 100-
(717) 432-9631 and Liberty rates, hours, and directions.
Horseback Riding The Rock Creek Park Horse Center
offers
guided
rides
$30
on the equesan hour;
reserRock Creek inches tall for the least be at 30 must vations are required. Children center, The for rides $20. pony offers also guided rides. Rock Creek which is open all year, is located at Military and Glover Roads in Northwest Washington. The hours are Tuesday through Friday, noon
Park. Rates are
trian trails located in
to 6 p.m.; Saturday
or visit
and Sunday, 9 a.m.
for
362-01 17
to 5 p.m. Call (202)
www.rockcreekhorsecenter.com
for
more information.
Golf Washington has three public golf courses operated on National Park Service land and open from dawn to dusk. Fees are $9 to $17 for 9 holes and $19 to $22 for 18 holes weekdays; weekends, the rates range from $1 1 to $27, respectively. Reservations are not accepted. All three courses feature bars, pro shops, rental clubs, and gas cars. East Potomac Golf Course, located in East Potomac Park across from
snack
Washington's waterfront area, offers one 18-hole course, two 9-hole courses, and an 18-hole miniature golf course. It's the busiest of the National Park Service courses; plan to arrive at don't
want
greens,
dawn on weekends
if you
Potomac has wide-open fairways, well-kept views of surrounding monuments. Call (202) 554-
to wait. East
and
great
7660 for more information. Langston Golf Course, at 28th
Street
and Benning Road,
NE
(near
Stadium), features an 18-hole course, including newly remodeled back-9 holes, and a driving range. Langston, the only public course with
RFK
water holes, call
is
located along the Anacostia River. For
more information,
(202) 397-8638.
Rock Creek Golf Course
NW,
is
offers duffers a hilly
and wooded
and Rittenhouse Streets, White House on 16th Street. It
located at l6th
four-and-a-half miles north of the
and challenging 18-hole course through rolling 882-7332 for more information.
hills
terrain. Call (202)
Spectator Sports After waiting
more than 30
years,
our nation's capitol has a
new Major
League Baseball team, the Washington Nationals. America's national pastime returned to D.C. on a professional level when the former Montreal
Expos moved here and began
their first season at
RFK Stadium
in
402
Exercise and Recreation
Part Eleven
spring of 2005. While they were waiting for their
new team
to arrive,
however, Washingtonians developed a fierce devotion to the Baltimore Orioles, only an hour north. Visitors to D.C. can to catch the Birds playing at
home, Oriole Park
downtown Inner Harbor. Check
Baltimore's
baseball,
(named
if you're
Yards, near
home games and
tickets.
one of the growing number of fans of minor-league
Washington
is
worth a minitour. The Class
honor of Francis Scott Key, a
in
the trek by train
Camden
the sports section of the
Washington Post for information on both teams'
However,
make
at
rural
A Frederick Keys
Maryland
native) play in
town of Frederick, Maryland, about an hour to the northeast (phone (301) 662-0013). The Class A Potomac Cannons, a farm team
the historic
for the Cincinnati Reds, play just outside Fairfax
2311
County;
call
(703) 590-
for details.
The
closest option for baseball
where the Bowie Baysox, a Class as the Keys,
is
Prince George's
AA team
County Stadium,
belonging to the same group
have been steadily building a crowd. Both teams are associ-
ated with the Orioles, so they're sentimental favorites. Baysox tickets run
only $12 for box active military.
seats,
$9
Call (301)
for adults,
464-4865
and $6
for children, seniors
and
for information.
For professional basketball, the Washington Wizards and the
WNBA's Mystics
(the league's highest-attendance
MCI
downtown
of the
Center, located
team
in
2002) play out
near Gallery Place. For schedules
and tickets, call (202) 661-5050 or visit the teams' respective Web sites: www.nba.com/wizards and www.wnba.com/mystics. The University of Maryland Terrapins offer topflight college basketball at Comcast Center on the school's campus in suburban College Park. Call (301) 314-7070 for information. Georgetown University plays its home games at MCI Center; for ticket information call (202) 687-HOYA. Lots of luck getting tickets to see professional football in Washington: the
Washington Redskins have
team holds the reputation Still
sold out stadiums for years,
as the hardest ticket to acquire in
interested? Scalpers regularly charge three
ticket price
—and
and the
pro sports.
and four times the regular
higher, if the 'Skins are playing Dallas.
moved from RFK Stadium to what is now The stadium has nearly 92,000 seats, so tickets obtain. Following suite, Baltimore built a new football
In 1997, the Redskins
Fed-Ex Field
in
Landover.
are slighdy easier to
stadium for the Ravens, nee Cleveland Browns. For Redskins schedule and ticket information, call (301) 276-6800 or visit www.redskins.com. For the Ravens,
call
(410) 261 -RAVE or
College football in
Byrd Stadium
Academy
at
is
visit
www.baltimoreravens.com.
another matter.
The Maryland Terrapins play The Naval
College Park (phone (301) 314-7070).
in Annapolis,
Maryland, and
ton also field teams; check the Post for
Howard University in Washinghome game information.
Spectator Sports
403
Washington's professional hockey team, the Washington Capitals, MCI Center in downtown D.C. near Gallery Place. For
plays at the
information,
call
(202) 628-3200.
Pro soccer comes
home games
to
Washington when the D.C. United plays 16
each season (March through September)
RFK
at
Stadium.
Tickets for evening and Sunday afternoon games range from $22 to $55.
For schedule information,
Horse racing
is
call
(202) 587-5000.
available at a
number of
visit.
Bus
service
from the
city
is
around Washington;
tracks
check the Washington Post to see which track
is
during your
in season
usually available.
D.C.-area Horse Tracks
Harness:
Thoroughbred:
Rosecroft
Charles
MD
(30
1
)
(30
262-8
Town Raceways— Charlestown.NA^
1
1
I
567-4000
)
I
(304) 725-7001
Course— Laurel. MD (301) 725-0400 Race Course— Baltimore. MD (410) 542-9400
Laurel Race
Pimlico
MD
Raceway— Fort Washington,
Bowie Race Course— Bowie.
Accommodations Index
Days Inn Connecticut Avenue, 61, 64,
Adam'sinn, 61,64, 68-69
American Inn of Bethesda, 61, 64, 68-69
70-71 Days Inn Crystal
Best Western Arlington, 61, 64,
68-69 68-69
Best Western Capitol Hill, 61, 62, Best Western
Key
Best Western
New Hampshire
63, 67,
Bridge, 61, 64,
68-69
Suites, 60,
Doubletree Hotel
City, 61, 65,
70-71
Cr>'stal City, 58, 65, GG,
70-71 Doubletree Hotel Tysons Corner, 59, 65,
67,70-71
68-69
Best Western Tyson's Westpark, 61, 64,
Econo Lodge National
Airport, 61, 65,
70-71
68-69 Bethesda Court Hotel, 59, 64, 67, 68-69
Embassy
Inn,
61,63,70-71
Embassy Row Hilton,
68-69
Carlyle Suites Hotel, 57, 63,
63,
Channel Inn Hotel, 60, 61, 68-69 Churchhill Hotel, 59, 63, G6, 68-69
Comfort Inn Arlington, 61,
64,
68-69
Comfort Inn Downtown, 61, 62, 68-69 Comfort Inn Landmark, 61, 64, 68-69
Comfort Inn Pentagon,
58, 63,
Embassy Square Summerfield
Capitol Hilton, 59, 62, GG, 68-69
59, 63, 66,
68-69
Comfort Inn Tyson's Corner, 61, 64,
70-71 Suites, 60,
70-71
Embassy
Suites Alexandria, 58, 65,
Embassy
Suites
Chevy Chase,
70-71
58, 64,
70-71
Embassy
Suites Crystal City, 59, 65,
70-71
Downtown,
70-71
Embassy
Suites
Embassy
Suites Tysons Corner, 58, 65, 67,
58, 63,
70-71
68-69 Comfort Inn Washington Gateway, 61, 64,
Fairmont Washinton, D.C., 58, 62, 70-71
68-69 68-69
Courtyard Alexandria, 60, 64, 67, Courtyard
Cr)'stal City, 58, 64,
68-69
Court)'ard Embassy Row, 60, 63,
Courtyard
New
68-69
Carrollton, 59, 64, 67,
Four Points Sheraton Bethesda, 60, 64,
70-71 Four Points Sheraton Downtown, 60, 62,
70-71 Four Seasons Hotel, 57, 63, 70-71
68-69 Courtyard Rosslyn, 60, 64, 70-71
Courtyard Washington
NW,
59, 63,
70-71
Crowne
Plaza National, 60, 64,
70-71
Days Inn Alexandria, 61, 64, 70-71
Georgetown Inn, 59, 63, 70-71 Governor's House, 60, 63, 72-73
Grand Hyatt Washington, Hamilton Crowne
58, 62,
Plaza, 57, 62,
72-73
72-73
405
Accommodations Index
406
Hampton Inn Hawthorn
Alexandria, 60, 65,
Hay-Adams
Hotel, 57, 62,
Hilton Alexandria 67,
11-1^
Suites Hotel, 60, 65, 67,
at
Mark
72-73
Loews LEnfant
Plaza, 58, 61, 67,
Madison Hotel,
58, 62,
76-77
76-77 76-77
72-73
Mandarin
Center, 58, 65,
Marriott Crystal City, 59, 65, 76-77
Oriental, 57, 61,
Marriott Crystal Gateway, 59, 65, 76-77
72-73
Marriott Hotel Bethesda, 59, 64, 76-77
Hilton Arlington and Towers, 59, 65,
Marriott Hotel Key Bridge, 59, 65, 76-77
72-73 Hilton Garden Inn, 60, 62, 72-73
Marriott Metro Center, 60, 62, 76-77
Hilton of Silver Spring, 60, G\, 67, 72-73
Marriott Tysons Corner, 59, 65, 76-77
Hilton Washington, 59, 63, 67, 72-73
Marriott
Wardman
Park Hotel, 59, 64,
Holiday Inn Alexandria, 61, 65, 72-73
76-77
Holiday Inn Adington, 59, 65, 72-73
The Melrose
Holiday Inn Capitol, 60, 62, 72-73
Morrison-Clark Inn, 58, 64, 76-77
Holiday Inn Central, 60, 64, 72-73
Morrison House, 58, 65, 76-77
Hotel, 58, 63,
76-77
Holiday Inn Chevy Chase, 60, 64, 72-73
Holiday Inn Downtown, 61, 62, 72-73 Holiday Inn Georgetown, 60, G^, 66,
Omni Shoreham Hotel, 58, 64, 76-77 One Washinton Circle Hotel, 58, 62, 76-77
72-73 Holiday Inn Hotel and
Suites, 60, 65,
Park Hyatt, 57, 63, 76-77
72-73 Holiday Inn National Airport, 60, 65, 67,
Phoenix Park Hotel, 61, 76-77
72-73 Holiday Inn on the
Hill, 60, 62,
Holiday Inn Rosslyn 65,
at
Key
72-73
Quality Inn College Park, 61, 64, GJ
Bridge, 60,
Quality Inn Iwo Jima, 60, 65, 67, 7G-77
72-73
Holiday Inn Select Bethesda, 60, 64, Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 59, 63, 76-77
74-75 Holiday Inn Select Old Town, 59, 65,
74-75 Holiday Inn
Silver Spring, 60, 64,
74-75
Radisson Plaza Hotel Old Town, 60, 65,
76-77 Red Roof Inn Downtown,
61, 62,
78-79
Hotel Helix, 58, 64, 74-75
Hotel Lombardy, 60, 62, 67, 74-75
Residence Inn, 58, 64, 78-79
Hotel Madera, 58, 63, 74-75
Residence Inn
Dupont
Circle, 59, 63,
78-79
Hotel Monaco, 58, 62, 74-75
Residence Inn Pentagon City, 59, 65,
Hotel Monticello, 59, 63, 74-75
78-79
Hotel Rouge, 58, 63, 74-75
Residence Inn Vermont Avenue, 59, 62,
Hotel Topaz, 57, 63, 66, 74-75
78-79
Hotel Washington, 59, 62, 74-75
Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, 57, 63, 78-79
Hyatt Arlington, 58, 65, 74-75 Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 59, 64, 74-75 Hyatt Regency Capitol
76-77
Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 57, 62,
HotelGeorge, 58, 61,74-75
Hill, 59, 62,
74-75
Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 58, 65, 74-75
Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City, 57, 65,
78-79 Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C., 57, 63,
78-79 Jefferson Hotel, 57, 62, 67,
Jurys
J.W
74-75
River Inn, 58, 62, 67, 78-79
Normandy, 60, 63, 74-75 Marriott Hotel, 58, 62, 74-75, 91
Savoy Suites Hotel, 60, 64, 78-79 Sheraton Crystal City, 60, 65, 78-79
Kalorama Guest House, 60, 63, 66, 74-75
Sheraton National, 59, 65, 78-79 Sheraton Pentagon South, 60, 65, 78-79
Latham Hotel,
59, 63, 67,
74-75
Lincoln Suites, 60, 62, 74-75
Sheraton Premiere Tysons Corner, 57, 65,
78-79
Accommodations Index Sheraton Suites Alexandria, 58, 65, 78-79 Sofitel Ufayette, 58, 62, St.
Gregory Luxury Hotel and 63,
St.
78-79 Suites, 58,
Washington Renaissance Hotel, 59, 62,
66,80-81 Washington Suites Alexandria, 59, 65,
80-81
78-79
Regis, 58, 62,
407
Washington
78-79
State Plaza Hotel, 60, 62, 67,
78-79
Suites
Georgetown, 58, 63,
80-81 Washington Terrace Hotel, 58, 64, 80-81
Tabard Inn, 61, 63, 78-79
Watergate Hotel, 57, 62, 67, 80-81
Westin Embassy Row, 58, 63, 80-81
80-81
Washington Court Hotel, 59, 62, 78-79
WestinGrand,
Washington Marriott Hotel, 59, 63,
Willard Intercontinental, 57, 62, 80-81
78-79 Washington National Airport Hilton, 59,
65,67,80-81 Washington Plaza Hotel, 61, 62, 80-81
57, 63,
Windsor Park Hotel, 61, 63, 80-81
Wyndham Wyndham
City Center, 59, 63, 67, 80-81
Washington, 58, 62, 80-81
Restaurant Index
Addie's, 254, 265, 268,
Cafe Promenade, 257
274
America, 273
Cafe Rose, 257
Andale, 260, 265, 267, 275
Capital Grille, 259,
Antrim 1844,257
Capitol City Brewing
Ashby
Cashion's Eat Place, 266, 268,
Inn,
257
Athenian Plaka, 264, 268, 275-76 Austin
Grill,
266, 267, 268, 269, 276-77
270
Company, 9 1 270 284-85 ,
Caucus Room, 258, 270 Charlie Palmer Steak, 254, 270, 273
Chef Geoff's, 260 Bangkok Garden, 266, 268, 277
Chopsticks, 272
257
Bar Rouge, 26
Circle Bistro,
Benjarong, 266, 268, 277-78
Citronelle, 254, 264, 267, 273,
The
Bistro,
257
Bistro Bis, 264, 267, 273,
278-79
Bistro Fran^aise, 264, 267, Blackie's,
279
Coeur de Lion, 257 Colvin
Run Tavern,
265, 269, 273,
285-86
270
Black's Bar
285
CityZen, 254, 257
& Kitchen, 266, 268, 271,
Courduroy, 265, 267, 273, 286-87
279-80 Blue Point
D.C. Coast, 265, 267, 273, 287
271
Grill,
Dish, 257
BobbyVan's, 254, 270
Bombay Bombay
Bistro,
Shula's,
270 Co., 270
270
Brickseller,
Bullfeathers,
Don
DuClaw Brewing
Club, 259
Brewer's Alley,
The
264, 268, 269, 280-81
270
Ella's
Burma, 263, 267, 281 Busara, 266, 267, 269, 271,
Wood-Fired
Pizza, 260,
271
Equinox, 254, 265, 267, 287-88
259
Etrusco, 264, 268,
288-89
281-82 Faccia Luna, 271
257
Cafe 15,260
15ria, 254,
Cafe Atlantico/Minibar, 260, 265, 267,
Finemondo, 260
272, 273, 282-83
Fiore di Luna,
273
260
Cafe Bethesda, 254
Firefly Restaurant,
Cafe Deluxe, 271
Five Guys,
Caf^ Divan, 266, 267, 283
Fleming's Steakhouse
Cafe Milano, 258, 264, 267, 283-84
Four and Twenty Blackbirds, 257
Cafe Mozu, 257
Four Seasons Hotel Garden Terrace, 272
408
270
& Wine Bar, 270
Restaurant Index Four
Sisters
(Huong Que), 266, 269, 289 and Brewpub, 270
Franklin's Restaurant
L'Auberge Chez Fran9ois, 264, 269, 273,
301-2 Le Mannequin
Gabriel, 265, 268, 272,
Pis,
261, 269, 305
Le Paradou, 260, 264, 267, 273, 305-6
289-90
Galileo, 256, 259, 264, 268, 273,
409
290-91
Les Halles, 259
Georgia Brown's, 259, 266, 267, 272, 291 Maestro, 264, 269, 273, 306-7
Geranio, 265, 269, 291-92 Gerard's Place, 264, 267, 273,
292-93
Makoto, 264, 268, 307-8
Ginza, 272
Marcel's, 264, 268,
Good
Market Inn, 259
Fortune, 263, 268, 293
Goose Run, 257
Gordon
Biersch Brewery Restaurant,
270
Street Grill,
Mark's
Duck House,
Green Papaya, 266, 268, 294
Mayim, 258
The
McCormick's
269, 295-96 Grill
263, 269, 308-9
254
Matisse,
Morrison House), 265,
257
Market
Grapeseed, 265, 268, 273, 293-94
Grille (at the
308
& Schmick's, 272
Melrose, 259, 265, 267, 272, 273,
from Ipanema, 263, 268, 295
MieNYu,
Guapo's, 271
309-10
Meskerem, 264, 268, 310 271
Miyagi, 272
Ha Ku Ba, 272 Hama Sushi, 272
Momo Taro,
Hard Rock Cafe, 271
Montmarte, 264, 266, 310-11
Helix, 261
Morton's, 260
Heritage India, 264, 267, 268, 296
Morton's of Chicago, 270
Hermitage Inn, 257
Murasaki, 264, 268, 272, 311-12
272
Monocle, 259
Hops, 270 Nectar,
Indique, 264, 268,
The Inn
at Little
New
297
Washington, 254, 265,
269, 273, 297-98
The
J.
Irish
Inn
Gilbert's,
at
Glen Echo, 272
Nick and
254
Occidental
Grill,
313-14
259
Oceanaire Seafood Room, 260, 266, 267,
298-99
271,314
Jean-Michel, 264, 268, 299 the Watergate,
Old
257
Jockey Club, 257
John Harvard's Brewhouse, 270 Johnny's Half Shell, 266, 268,
299-300
Angler's Inn, 265, 269, 272, Grill,
Old
263,267,316
Glory,
Bistro, 264, 267,
272, 300-301
314-15
259, 263, 267, 271, 272,
Old Ebbitt 315-16 Olives,
Kaz Sushi
Stef's,
Niwano Hana, 272 Nora, 265,268, 312-13 Obelisk, 264, 268, 273,
270
Jaleo, 265, 267, 268, 269, 272, 273,
Jeffrey's at
257
Heights, 265, 268, 272, 273, 312
254
OlneyAle House, 271
Kennedy Center Roof Terrace, 272, 273
Oodles Noodles, 271
Kinkead's, 266, 267, 271, 272, 273, 301
Ortanique, 254, 260, 263, 267, 316-17
Komi, 254 Palena,256, 265, 268, 317-18
257
La Chaumi^re, 264, 267, 302-3
Palette,
La CoUine, 259, 264, 266, 303
Palm, 259, 270
La Cote D'Or Cafe, 264, 269, 304
Paya Thai, 273
Lafayette, 257,
273
La Miche, 254, 264, 268, 304-5
Perry's,
273
Persimmon, 254, 265, 269, 318
Restaurant Index
410
P.F.Chang's, 271
Tachibana, 272
Pizzeria Paradise, 265, 267, 268, 271,
Tako
Poste, 254,
Grill,
264, 269, 272, 325
TaraThai, 266, 269, 271,326
318-19
Taste of Saigon, 266, 269,
257
Tavira, 266, 269,
Prime Rib, 260, 270
The Tea Cozy, 269
Primi
Piatti,
326-27
327
Potomack Landing, 273
Teaism, 269
271
Teatro Goldoni, 264, 267, 271,
Radio Free
Italy,
Thai Farm, 329
Rainforest Cafe, 271
319-20
Tono
Sushi,
Restaurant Eve, 256, 265, 320-21
Tony
& Joe's, 273
Restaurant Nora, 259, 273
Topaz
Restaurant Seven, 255
Tosca, 264, 267,
RFD, 271
Turning Point Inn, 257
Red
Sage, 265, 267, 271,
260
Rock Bottom Restaurant
Bar,
272
261
329-30
2941,254,265,269,330-31
Ristorante Filomena, 271 Ristorante Tosca,
327-28
TenPenh, 265, 267, 328-29
271
& Brewery, 270
Two Amys, 271 Two Quail, 259
Rocklands, 263, 267, 269, 321 Ruth's Chris Steakhouse,
270
Union
Street Public
House, 271
Sakana, 272
Vidalia, 265, 268, 273,
Sake Club, 272
The View
Sam
& Harrys, 270, 273
331-32
Steakhouse, 273
Virginia Beverage Co.,
270
Sea Catch, 266, 267, 272, 322 Seasons, 257,
WiUard Room, 257
273
Willow Grove, 257
Sequoia, 273
1789, 265, 268, 322-23 Signatures, 256, 260,
Smith
& Wollensky, 254, 270
Stone Manor, 257
Summit
Station,
Woo
Lae Oak, 265, 269, 332
273 Yoko, 272 Yosaku, 272
270
Sushi-Ko, 264, 268, 272, 323
Zaytina, 260, 265, 267,
Sushi Taro, 272
Zed's, 264, 268,
Sweetwater Tavern, 270
Zio's,
332-33
333-34
271
Zola, 254, 260, 265, 267, 273,
Tabard Inn, 264, 268, 324 Taberna del Alabardero, 260, 266, 267, 273, 324-25
334
Subject Index
Art
Accommodations See also Accommodations Index
184, 191-92,
Bed-and-breakfasts (B&Bs), 46
30
best deals,
66-67
comparison
chart,
convention
rates,
Art
191-92 Hirshhorn
197-99
ratings/rankings,
51-81
star rating system,
National
Museum
of African Art, 139,
182, 183, 199-200
55
numbers, 52
National
41-42
National
to stay,
Accommodations
Museum Museum
Arts, 139, 182,
Express, 45
of American Art, 139 of Women in the
185,226
National Portrait Gallery, 139, 14 1,
Acela Express, 99
Adams-Morgan (Zone
6), 105,
164,
339-41
154,227 Phillips Collection, 139, 153, 182, 185,
Airports
Baltimore- Washington International,
Ronald Reagan "Washington National,
Folklife Festival,
33
An American
9),
106
Holiday Celebration, 37
Anderson House, 140, 141, 234-35 Andres, Jose Annapolis,
Ramon, 256
MD,
168-69
Arts and Industry Building, 142 Attractions
churches/houses of worship, 180
governmnet buildings open
166,357,358
grouped by Metro Station, 163-66 historic buildings and homes, 180-81
libraries,
181
Arlington House, 140, 141
listed
by type, 180-83
Arlington National Cemetery, 140, 141,
listed
by zone, 183-86
153, 180, 183,
for tours,
180
hours of operation, 143-44
Area codes, 109 Stage,
206
cemeteries, 180
Amtrak, 38, 99, 168 Anacostia (Zone
Gallery, 139, 182, 184,
Smithsonian American Art Museum,
227
38-39, 94, 96 Washington-Dulles, 39, 94, 97, 99
American
234 Renwick
99
39, 98,
Arena
Sculpture
National Gallery of Art, 139, 182, 183,
numerical rating system, 56 parking, 42
toll-free
Museum and
Garden, 139, 181, 183, 192-93
by zone, 61-65
where
in the Arts,
188-89
Freer Gallery of Art, 139, 181, 183,
information chart, 68-81 listed
208-9
of the Americas, 139
139, 181, 183,
42
hotel taxes,
Museum
Corcoran Gallery of Art
57-61
49-51
42^9
discounts,
museums
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 139, 182,
186-87
Memorial Day Ceremonies, 33
monuments and memorials, 181 museums and galleries, 181-82
411
Subject Index
412
Gettysburg National Battlefield, 170
Attractions (continued)
and
parks, gardens
theaters/performances,
1
170
183
Manassas National
83
Spotsylvania National Military Park, 170
zoos,
Battlefield,
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at
Maryland, 359
Babe Ruth House, 169 Baltimore,
MD,
C&O Canal mule-drawn boat rides, 35 C&O Canal Towpath Trail, map, 391
169
Baltimore Orioles, 401-2
Barbecue Baseball,
Battle,
Consolidators, 45
34
Constitution Gardens, 140
402
Basketball,
Constitution Hall, 139
402
Bed and Breakfast Accommodations
Ltd.,
Bed
Crime, 110-17
Customs and
46
protocol,
106—8
& Breakfasts-Country Inns and The
Official
Guide
to
American Historic Inns
Disabled tourists, 108, 133-35, 257
342-43
Bethesda, 255,
Donna, Roberto, 254, 256, 259 Downtown (Zone 3), 104-5
Bishops Garden, 140 Black, Barbara,
Decatur House, 140, 141, 180, 183,
190-91
46
(Sakach),
254
106-7
Black Rock Center for the Arts, 359
Dress,
Bowie Race Course, 403
Driving, 34-37, 119-20
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Dumbarton Oaks Mansion and Museum, 140, 182, 185,229-30 Dupont Circle, 102, 105-6, 140, 341-42 Dupont Circle/Adams Morgan (Zone 6),
National, 139, 140, 183, 187-88
Business travelers, 49-50, 83, 90
102, 105-6, 140, 268 Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Day, 34
Cam, Yannick, 254 Capital Jazz Fest, 34
Capitol Hill (Zone 2), 104, 215, 266, 343 Capitol Reservations, 45
Center for Science in the Public
Interest,
Potomac Golf Course, 401
East
Potomac Tennis Club, 394
Edgar Allen Poe House, 169
254
The Center
for the Arts at
University,
Charles
East
Town
George Mason
165
Embassy Row, 140, 164
Raceways, 403
Encore, 44
Enid A. Haupt Garden, 140
Chefs Collective, 254
Chesapeake
Ellipse,
358
& Ohio Canal and Towpath,
and recreation
Exercise
boat
rides,
ten least popular sights, 151
394-99 400 canoeing and kayaking, 399-400 fitness centers and aerobics, 393 free weights and elliptical trainers, 393
ten most popular sights, 146
golf,
401
141,
biking,
142,399
Children's National Medical Center, 150 Children's sightseeing, 139,
146-51
Children's Concierge, 159
399
Chinatown, 91, 164, 165
hiking,
Churches/houses of worship
horseback riding, 401
Adas
Israel
horse racing, 402
Synagogue, 142
Basilica of the Shrine of the
Immaculate
running, 390-93
400-401
Conception, 142, 180, 185, 241-42
skiing,
Franciscan Monastery and Gardens,
spectator sports,
242-43 Center, 142, 180, 185, 232-33
140, 142, 154, 180, 186, Islamic St.
John's Episcopal Church, 142
Washington National Cathedral, 139, 140, 142, 152, 180,
185,240-41
City Paper, 109 Civil
War
Antietam National
tennis,
Battefield,
170
394 389-90
walking,
Fashion Centre, 335 Federal Bureau of Investigation, 139, 140,
155,222 and events, calendar, 32-37 The Fitness Company, 393 Festivals
Battlefields
401-3
swimming, 393
Subject Index 400
Jack's Boats,
Flea markets
413
Bethesda Flea Market, 338
Georgetown Flea Market, 337 Women's Co-op, 338 Fletcher's Boat House, 399-400 Foggy Bottom (Zone 4), 105, 267
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens,
Folger Shakespeare Library, 140, 141, 181,
Kennedy Center Prelude Koonz, Gray, 254 Krinn, Jonathan, 254
140, 182,
402
Ford, Jacques,
House, 141, 180,
Leeds, Jamie,
Playbill Cafe,
MD,
403
254
Legg Mason Tennis
FortMcNair, 140, 166
Liberty
358
Mountain
House (Cedar Hill), 139, 141, 180, 186,244-45 Frederick Municipal Watershed, 399
216-17 Malls
Chevy Chase
Pavilion,
Fairfax Square,
Gaithersburg, 255
The Fashion
Center,
Georgetown (Zone 5) restaurants, 267-68
Georgetown
Park,
shopping, 338-39 sightseeing, 105, 140, 141
tour of JFK residences, 175
George University Medical Center,
1
50
George Washington's Birthday Parade, 32 George Washington University Medical
336
336
Gadsby's Tavern, 155
335-36
337
Mazza Gallerie, 336 Montgomery Mall, 336 Old Post Office Pavilion, 337 Shops at National Place, 337 Tysons Corner, 336 Union Station, 337 White Flint Mall, 336
Maps
Center, 150
Germantown, 255 Goddard Space Flight Center, 142 Gray, Todd, 254,
34 400
Classic,
Resort,
Library of Congress, 139, 152, 181, 184,
396
Frederick Douglass
Great
36
Langston Golf Course, 401 Laurel Race Course,
184,356 Fort McHenry, 169
Frederick,
Festival,
254
Ford's Theatre/Petersen
1409
140, 141, 153, 183, 185,
227-28, 356
184,214-16 Football,
186,245-46
Kennedy Center,
Airport, 98
Capitol Hill, 215
257
Falls Park, 142,
Baltimore- Washington International
C&O Canal Towpath Trail, 391
399
Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour, 396 Harper's Ferry National Historical Park,
Mount Vernon Trail, 392 Ronald Reagan Washington National
169-70 Historic Alexandria Candlelight Tours,
Airport, 96
Sugar Loaf Mountain Bicycle Tour, 398
37
touring zones 1-6, 8
Hockey, 402
Homeless people,
1
touring zones 7-11, 9
16—17
Hospitals, 150
Washington, D.C. and
Hotel Discounts, 45
Washington and Old Dominion
Hotels.com, 45
Railroad Regional Park, 395 Washington Convention Center, 84-87
Hotel
& Travel Index, 45
House of Representatives, 176, 177 House of the Temple, 139, 180, 185, 231-32 Inner Harbor, 169
and Approved, Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns (Stuhlman),
Inspected, Rated,
46 International Travel Card,
44
vicinity,
95
Washington Convention Center: Concourse A, B, and C, 84 Washington-Dulles International Airport, 96 Washington Old Town Trolley Tour, Zone 1, National Mall, 10-11
Zone Zone Zone
2,
Capitol Hill, 12-13
3,
Downtown D.C, 14-15
4,
Foggy Bottom, 16
1
56
Subject Index
414
Maps (continued) Zone 5, Georgetown, 17 Zone 6, Dupont Circle/ Adams-Morgan,
18-19
Zone Zone Zone Zone Zone
7,
Upper Northwest D.C., 20-21
8,
Northeast D.C., 22
9,
Southeast D.C., 23
10, 11,
Morales, Frank, 254
Mount Vernon
and Gardens, 140,
Estate
186,250-51
141, 154-55, 181,
Mount Vernon Square, 102 Mount Vernon Trail, 142, 392, 396 Museums. See also Art museums Anacostia Museum, 139, 141, 181, 186,244
Maryland suburbs, 24-25 Virginia suburbs, 26-27
MARC (Maryland commuter train), 99,
Bethune
Museum and Archives,
B&O Railroad Museum, Museums
Marine Corps Marathon, 36 Maryland Science Center, 169
Maryland suburbs (Zone
10),
City
(Brewmaster's Castle), 140,
185,230-31
180,
268-69
169
House Mansion and
Christian Heurich
168
139,
141
Museum
of Washington, l4l, 164,
165
Mather Gorge, 399 Mathieson, Jon, 254
Daughters of the American Revolution
McCoy,
Museum,
Eric,
254
African-American Civil
War Memorial,
139, 141
Black Revolutionary
War
Patriots
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial,
141,181,184,206-8 George Mason Memorial, 141
Museum,
141, 142,
184,222-23
184,224 and Albert Small Jewish
Museum, 142
JefFerson Memorial, 140, 141, 181,
Lincoln
Museum
(in Ford's Theatre),
141
183, 193
Korean War Veterans Memorial, 141 Lincoln Memorial, 139, 140, 141, 181,
Law Enforcement
Officers
182,
War
II
Memorial, 141,
142, 153, 182, 183,
182,
U.S. Navy Memorial, 1 41, 165 Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 33, 14 1, 181, 184,210-11
Vietnam Memorial, l4l
Meridian International Center, 139, 140,
National
Museum,
141,
Museum
of Health and
Medicine, 142, 182, 185, 238-39 National
Museum
139, 182,
of Natural History,
184,202-3
Museum
National Postal
Metrobus, 132
182,
Metroliner, 99
Textile
of the American
Museum, 235-36
Series,
184,201-2
Museum,
139, 142,
184,217-18 140, 182, 185,
U.S. Holocaust Memorial 141, 182,
Mark, 254
139, 142,
186,248-49 National Museum of American History, 141, 142, 182, 184,200-201
Indian, 141, 182,
The Metro, 102-3, 121-35
Monis, Johnny, 254
Museum,
184,224-25
National
185,233
Metal detectors, 177
35
139,
142, 182,
U.S. Holocaust Memorial, l4l
Metro Mobility Link, 134 Military Band Summer Concert
Museum,
194-96
National Cryptologic
181, 184,203-4 Navy Memorial, 14
Flight Center,
186,247-48
National Building
Memorial, 33, 41 National World
NASA/Goddard Space National Air and Space
183, 194
Miller,
Gardens, 140,
185,237-38
International Spy
Lillian
Iwo Jima Memorial, 140, 141
180,
Museum and
Koshland Science Museum, 142, 181,
Memorial, 165
in
Hillwood
181,
George Washington National Masonic
Women
Dumberton Oaks Mansion and Museum, 140, 182, 185, 229-30 153, 181,
Memorial, 139, 141
National
139, 140, 152, 181, 183,
189-90
Memorials
Museum,
184,209-10
Washington Monument Museum, l4l at Strathmore Hall, 358
Music Center
Subject Index National Aquarium, 139, 165, 182, 183,
415
Platinum, 370. 372, 384-85
pubs/brewhouses, 367-68, 372
196 National Archives, 139, 141, 174-75,
196-97
red-light areas/sex boutiques,
369-70
373
singles bars,
National Cherr)' Blossom Festival, 32
Takoma
National Christmas Tree Lighting/Pageant
Yacht Club of Bethesda, 371, 373, 385-
Station Tavern, 371, 372,
86
of Peace, 37 National Coalition for the Homeless, 117
National Geographic Society's Explorer's Hall, 139, 182,
185,225-26
National Independence
Day
Zanzibar, 370, 372,
breweries,
367 367-68
coffee bars,
367
National Mall, 140, 164
369 354-55 overview, 353—54
National Theatre, 357
safety,
National Wildlife Visitor Center, 139,
singles bars,
Law Enforcement
Memorial Candlelight
142, 183,
Officers
Vigil,
386-87
Nightlife billiard parlors,
Celebration,
34 National
385
33
186,249-50
eating solo, nightclubs,
370
dieater,
368 355-60
National Zoological Park, 139, 183, 185,
O'Connell, Patrick, 254
239-40 Neighborhoods, 104-6
Newman, Mina, 255 Nightclubs bar and grills/buffets, 371
Birchmere, 371,372-73
Black Cat, 370, 371,372,373 Blues Alley 370, 372,
374-75
Olney Theatre, 359 Outtawa, Marou, 256
Blues Gin, 370, 374 Brickskeller, 370, 373,
375
Buffalo Billiards, 371, 373,
375-76
Chi-Cha Lounge, 371, 376 cigar bars, 367 cocktail lounges,
The Octagon, 140, 1 41, 181, 184,204-5 Old Executive Office Building, 165 Old Post Office Tower and Pavilion, 139, 140,165,181,184,205-6 Old Stone House, 141 Old Town Alexandria, 140, 141, 181, 186, 251-52,343
371
254 167-68
Palladin, Jean-Louis,
Parking, 42, 121, Pearl
Harbor
Day 37
comedy 360-61, 372
Penn Quarter, 255, 356
dance clubs, 365-66, 372
Pentagon, 151
Dave & Buster's, 371, 376-77 Dream, 371,372, 377-78 Dubliner, 370, 373, 378 Evening at the Improv, 372 gay night spots, 368-69
Pierce Mill,
Half Moon Bar-B-Que, 371, 372, 378-
PouUion, Nora, 254
394
Pimlico Race Course, 403
Pope John Paul
II
Cultural Center, 142
Potomac
Park,
142
Potomac
Spirit,
104
79
Hard Rock
Cafe, 370, 371, 379
The Improv, Iota,
370, 380
Quest, 44
Quikbook, 45
371,373,380-81
Jammin'Java, 371,373, 381
Racetracks,
403 175
listed
by type, 371-72
Radio
listed
by zone, 370-71
Recommended Country Inns, Mid-Atlantic and Chesapeake Region (Chase), 46
live jazz
live
and
blues,
361-65, 372
pop/rock, 361-65, 372
Lulu's
Night Club, 371, 373, 381-82
MCCXXIII, 371,372, 382 Nation, 371,383 9:30, 373,
383-84
Ozio,370,371,384
stations,
Reflecting Pool, 144
Reservations
making your own, 47-48 45-46
services,
Restaurants/dining. See also Restaurant
Index
416
Subject Index Thai, 266
Restaurants/dining.
266
American, 263
Turkish,
barbecue, 263
value rating,
Rest rooms, 109-10
269 TJ^-1 1
best afternoon teas, best burgers,
271
21\-12
best
raw
best
Sunday brunches, 272
bars,
best views, best
wine
Tl'i-lA.
best with tables in the kitchen,
biggest beef steakhouses, Brazilian,
Lee's
Robert E.
Parilla
Performing Arts Center,
Rock Creek Park Horse Center, 40 Rock Creek Park (Zone 7), 106, 142, 399 Rock Creek Tennis Center, 394
273
lists,
Birthday Celebration, 32
Robert E.
359 Rock Creek Golf Course, 401
272
best sushi bars,
256
Richard, Michel,
271
best family dining, best pizza,
262
Vietnamese, 266
263
Belgian,
273
Ronald Reagan Building, 139, 140 Roosevelt Island, 142
270
Rosecroft Raceway, 403
263
Round House Theater, 358
Burmese, 263 Caribbean, 263 chefs,
254-55, 256, 259, 260
Salvatore,
cost,
Damien, 254
Sandy Point
Chinese, 263
State Park,
257-58
for the disabled,
Senate, 176, 177
Ethiopian, 264
Shenandoah National
French, 264
Shopping (brewed on-site), 270
freshest beers
Greek, 264 Indian,
264
256-57
industry trends, Italian,
264
Japanese,
393
Scott Circle, 102
262
264
Park, 169
Adams-Morgan and antiques, 343-44 art, 344-45 bargains, 345—46 Bethesda, 342-43 bookstores, 346-47
U Street,
Capitol Hill, 343
Korean, 265 listed
by cuisine and
listed
by zone, 266-69
star rating,
locating the restaurant,
263-66
Chevy Chase, 342 art, 347
decorative
262-63
Dupont
Modern American, 265 Modern Mexican, 265
flea
most entertaining
malls in D.C.,
decor, 271
347-48 341-42
designer clothing,
Middle Eastern, 265
Circle,
337
markets,
Georgetown, 338-39
337
new downtown dining, 260-61 new hotel dining, 257 new restaurant districts, 255
museum shops, 348—49 Old Town Alexandria, 343
New Southwestern,
political
265
oriental rugs,
349
memorabilia, 349
and photography, 349-50
new Washington cookery, 253-55 Nuevo Latino, 265
prints
Pan-Asian, 265
suburban malls, 335-36
paying the pizza,
bill,
263
Portuguese,
famous people, 258-60
266
274-334 quality rating, 262 seafood, 266 Southern, 266 Spanish, 266 Tex-Mex, 266 profiles,
salon products,
Washington
350
insider items,
348
watches, 350
265
places to see
339-41
wine and gourmet foods, 350-51 writing implements, 351 Sightseeing
avoiding the heat, 176
beyond the Beltway, categories, 138-142
1
68-70
with children, 139, 146-51 Civil
War
battlefields,
170
1
Subject Index D.C.
after dark,
helpful hints
176
and
400
Tidal Basin,
170-73
tips,
Tipping, 107
intragroup incompatibility, 145-46
Torpedo
one-day touring, 166—68
Tourist seasons, 29-33, 145
photo
Tours
174, 177
tips,
Factory, 165
planning, 137-38
Bike the
touring information, 172-77
Children's Concierge,
tours,
152-77
African-American, 139 architecture,
159 1
59
Z)^«^ cruise ship, 158-59 DC Duck Tours, 158 Georgetown tour of JFK residences, 175 GNP's Scandal Tours, 159
Sight-seeing categories
art
Sites,
Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour, 396
171-72
travel tips,
417
139
Gray
museums, 139
Line, 157, 158
children, 139
Guide Service of Washington, 159
decorative arts and antiques, 140
Intragroup incompatibility, \45-i6
gardens, 140
Kalorama House and Embassy Tour, 36
government, 140
Monuments by Moonlight, 157
140
great views, 140
Odyssey ///cruises,
historical buildings
and
sites,
141
Old Town
58
157
159-163
Plan,
orientation and guided tours,
141
monuments and memorials, 141
Red Line Tour, 163
outdoors, 142
Spirit Cruises,
overview,
1
Trolley, 156,
Optimum Touring
history, 14
military,
Red Trolley, 157
Li'l
great places to walk,
158
Sugar Loaf Mountain Bicycle Tour,
138-39
398
142
places of worship,
top 20 tours, 152-55
technology, 142
Signature Theatre, 358
Tourmobile, 134-35, 157
60 Hikes within 60 Miles:Washington, D.C.
VIP
fare card,
Traffic,
122-27, 129-30, 167
58
103-4, 119, 121
Smithsonian Access, 108
by
driving,
(the Castle), 162, 182, Festival,
car,
93
34-37
184,209
the Metro, 102-3
32
by plane, 38-39, 94-99
Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center, 141
taxis,
Soap Box Derby, 34
by
Soccer,
1
Transportation
Smithsonian Institution Building
Smithsonian Kite
142-43
Trabocchi, Fabio, 256
Skyline Drive, 169
SmarTrip
tours,
Washington After Dark,
399 Rountop, 400
(Elliott),
Ski
155-59
403
103, 132-33
train,
37-38, 99, 168
Travel agents, 45,
Society of the Cincinnati, 181, 185,
46-47
Travel America at Half Price
(Entertainment Publications), 44
234-35 Source Theater Co., 358
Travel packages,
Southwest Waterfront (Zone
1),
104
Tudor
Place,
48-49
140
Studio Theater, 358
Swope, Alison, 260
Union Station, 218-19
Taste of D.C. Festival, 36
U.S.
SuperShutde, 94, 99
Upper Northwest (Zone 7), 106, 268 Army Band's 1812 Overture Concert, 34
Telephones, 109 Tepper, Jason,
U.S. Botanic Garden, 140, 183, 184, 219
254
U.S. Capitol, 139, 140, 141, 152, 180,
Theater], 358
Theodore Roosevelt
Thompson Boat Ticket Place,
99, 139, 181, 184, 186,
Island,
Center,
357-58
399
399
184,220 U.S. Department of Interior, 182, 185,
228
Subject Index
418
U.S. Department of State Diplomatic
Reception Rooms, 140, 152, 180, 185,
Washington
Washington Times, 108
229 U.S. Department of the Treasury, 140, 153
Weather, 29, 31
U.S. National Arboretum, 140, 183, 186,
Web
sites
Amtrak, 168
243 U.S.
108
Post.
Washington Sports Club, 393
Navy Memorial Concerts on
Avenue
the
Arena
Stage,
357
bed-and-breakfasts, 46, 50
35
Series,
U.S. Supreme Court, 139, 140, 180, 184,
Bike the Sites tours, 159 Capital Steps, 360
221
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